#what i did not like was his comments about beating lewis in his first season in merc

[silentreigns]

George managing to turn the majority of the F1 community against him in a day after improving his image these past few weekends with good results. Definitely did not anticipate him becoming the main character these last couple of races

[saintslewis]

❝ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 | 𝐅𝟏 ❞

pairing: f1 grid (not all) x black fem driver!reader

summary: in which reader takes the f1 pilots to experience her culture and the beautiful country that is South Africa.

warnings: south african slang, cussing, social media environment, mentions of food, borderline chaotic

saint’s team radio 🎀: you have no idea how excited i was to write this. i love my country so so much and to be able to share it with all of you is a blessing. thank you @exotic-iris13 for requesting this! side note, December is in summer so i hope i don’t confuse you! enjoy!

please like, comment and reblog! (i’m watching you)

fc: @/mbbaarrhliii on ig!

tags: @non-stop-imagines @perfecttrashface @mauvecherie-writes @purplelewlew @arshiyuh @yeea-nah @alika-4466 @louvrepool @sheluvsf1

imessage: THE OFFICE 🏎️

y/n: i just got my braids done losers

charlie w a ferrari: but the season’s over, we won’t see it :(

carlito: plus didn’t you already have them done last month?

landinhoooo: no guys december braids usually mean a vacation, so where are you going? 🤨

y/n: firstly, you know wayyyy too much about the braids thing 😭

honey badger: that was oddly specific i have to say, lan

yukibae: yeah that was weird

landinhoooo: wtv 🙄 where are you going, y/n!

y/n: my mother is requesting the presence of all of you so you’re all coming back home with me 🤭

carlito: mi vida, wouldn’t that be too soon? winter break just started

kika’s bf: also how would it work? accommodation, transport, all those things

y/n: are you saying no to an african mother?

lew <3: guys say yes, she’ll show up to your house and force you

alexander!: not to mention it’s summer that side (she kidnapped one of my cats, say yes)

princess george: okay, let’s say we all go. what is going to happen?

y/n: i’m just saying, you haven’t lived if you haven’t never experienced a South African summer

mad max: I don’t know, y/n. just please don’t guilt trip us

mickey schumi: i can already feel her frown from here

y/n: i was going to pay for everything but since none of you want to go, i’m saving money 🤭

landinho: wait

kika’s bf: wait hold on

charlie w a ferrari: why didn’t you say so in the first place?!

honey badger: now that you’ll be our sugar mommy, ofc we’ll all be there

princess george: that clears out so much

y/n: you guys are a bunch of IDIOTS

alexander!: there has to be a catch???

landinho: ALEX SHUT UP WE’RE GOING ON A FREE TRIP

carlito: we’ll even dance to that one music playlist of yours

y/n: all of you have to wear my merch next season and you’ll let me win two races back to back

mad max: now y/n-

y/n: uh oh! looks like max is paying for everything!

charlie w a ferrari: JUST SAY YES

mad max: okay, you’ll win two races and i’ll slow down

princess george: i just did some quick research and y/n, you’re seen as a national treasure??? and lewis is considered Nelson Mandela’s grandchild??

y/n: well, yes! don’t question my country, okay? 🫶🏽

yukibae: yes ma’am 🫡

oscahhh: i went for a run, what did i miss??

landinho: we’re going on a trip and y/n is paying 😝

honey badger: except max, he’s paying for his own things

mad max: i’m not??

y/n: three races and i’ll get you a new console

kika’s bf: CAN I HAVE ONE??

landinho: NOOO I NEED ONE, PLS Y/N

y/n: we all earn millions every race??? get it yourself????

kika’s bf: i’m going to tell kika you’re bullying me

y/n: she’s coming on the trip too along with all the other wags 🤭

yukibae: and where’s YOUR wag, y/n? 🤨

y/n: yuki shhh pls i’ll literally buy you an island

charlie w a ferrari: NUH UH YUKI TELL US

landinho: yuki what do you know

princess george: whoever isn’t y/n’s wag, say so RN

everyone: NOT ME

lew <3: damn

landinho: I KNEW ITTTTTT

honey badger: IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW AHHH

alexander!: I HAVE TO GO TELL LILY

oscahhh: have you guys never seen them interact in the media pen? it’s like they’ve been married for 27 years

logang: and how do YOU know that

oscahhh: mate, you told me

y/n: 🙄

y/n: go pack for this trip before i shave your eyebrows 🫶🏽

y/n’s instagram story

seen by kehlani, ferrari and 34,282,722 others

-

“There’s no way you got cars for all of us.” George and everyone else really couldn’t believe that the lengths you went through to make this trip as perfect as you could. “Not to mention booking out the Four Seasons!” Carmen interjected, walking next to her boyfriend.

You watched as everyone filed into the Mercedes vans waiting for them on the airport runway where the large jet had landed. You couldn’t believe you got everyone to come to South Africa in the first place but guilt tripping them had worked a charm, complaining that you don’t have a home race and that your mom would be pissed.

Very easy to fool these guys.

The skies of Johannesburg weren’t all too clear but you could tell that it was summer. Deciding to rather catch up with everyone at the hotel a bit later, you used a private exit to the airport so that you could visit your mom and sister before anything else. Plus you knew a big deal would’ve been made if you had announced that you were coming home so posting will do for now.

“Bathong, where are your friends? I thought you’d all come here.” Your mother said whilst setting up the extremely long table in her backyard so you were sat on a pool chair just watching her.

bathong - more of an expression of confusion or shock

“It was going to look suspicious if i came here with all these people with the same vans following each other.” You replied. “I booked the Four Seasons, it should be big enough for all of us.”

“Oh okay, that’s fancy. So where’s your boyfriend?” Your mom asked with a grin on her face that earned a head shake from you.

“Ukuphi uLerai?” Where’s Lerai? (younger sister)

“Usaseskholeni. Unfuna ukuyomlanda?” Your mom replied. She’s still at school. Do you want to go fetch her?

“Yeah, i want to surprise her. So let me go and I’ll see you later when I drop her off.” You stood up, saying goodbyes to her as your mom went about what she doing.

Hopping in one of your various cars that you kept in your mother’s garages, you quickly texted your boyfriend when an idea popped in your head.

imessages!

y/n: do you want to cause a bit of chaos

lew <3: sigh

lew <3: what kind?

y/n: i’ll pick you up rn and we’re going to pick my sister up from school 😝

lew <3: should i be scared?

y/n: slightly, see you in a few 😚

-

To say you caused a bit of chaos would be an understatement. You hadn’t realised that your sister’s school was huge and this whole time, you forgot what you and your boyfriend did for a living. Picture this: a Lamborghini Urus parked outside where many high school kids are obsessed with it, you and Lewis stepping out to call your little sister, kids recognise you two, you apologise to your sister with ice cream.

You end the day off with lounging in the room with your boyfriend, laughing at the reactions of your fans to the news of you being in the country. You had planned this whole visit out, wanting everyone to get their rentals tomorrow morning then taking them everywhere.

yourusername

liked by pierregasly, bellahadid and 937,728 others

yourusername home 🇿🇦

view comments

user there’s no fucking way, YOU’RE BACK??

yourusername and i’m with my FRIENDS 🤭

youryoungersister a facetime would be nice next time 🧍🏽‍♀️

yourusername well, no!

landonorris y/n, what is a kota?

yourusername if you’re up for it, we can get some today

georgerussell okay but what IS it

yourusername DON’T WORRY

georgerussell I’M WORRIED

carlossainz55 you didn’t say it was going to be this hot

charles_leclerc she warned us mate 😭

danielricciardo btw max is still hanging out with that cat he found at breakfast

lilymhe i’m obsessed with this place, i never want to leave

francisca.cgomes you’re still in the hotel room 🫤

alexandrasaintmleux i just googled gold reef city, CAN WE GOOO PLS

alex_albon WHATS THAT

loganseargent IT’S AN AMUSEMENT PARK

user i just drove in the four seasons driveway, guys there are so many cars lined up for them 😭

user she comes to the country when i decide to LEAVE??

dbngogo stfu you’re back? 🥹 come to Konka 🫵🏽

landonorris WHAT’S THAT

dbngogo it’s a nightclub 🤭

sza CAN I JOIN Y’ALL

yourusername ofc bae

lewishamilton there’s a flower bouquet that says Mandela’s grandchild for me 🧍‍♂️

user oh fuck he knows the joke

georgerussell told you

f1 y/n bring back our drivers 😣

yourusername bring back kyalami then we’ll talk

user oop-

-

SOWETO

south western township

Not wanting to waste any time, Y/n scooped up her friends to visit her hometown, where she grew up and dreamed of this very moment.

The convoy of extremely expensive cars that sped through the route to Soweto had caught the attention of many people, including the news that announced your arrival.

Briefing the boys (and the girls) on their menu choices of your favourite foods, they all equally decided that they’ll start training when they get back home. With the food place being right across a park with a large parking lot, it was convenient for you.

Being the host for this whole trip, you went ahead and ordered for everyone, speaking through the hole in the wall to specify orders and paying a hefty price including drinks. You watched as all your friends climbed out of their respective cars, leaning and sitting on the hoods of the cars as they all bonded. The vibrant atmosphere of your home country made everything feel like summertime.

Getting help carrying all that food to the group, everyone took their orders and observed them. “So, amagwinya are fat cakes, they’re very filling. A Kota is a uncut loaf of bread with stuff inside like hot chips, sausages and other things that you can specify for your Kota.” You explained, everyone immediately digging in and their faces said it all.

“And for you, Lew, you can have the fat cakes and the hot chips. I have to say, you’ll be full for the entire day.” You turned to your boyfriend who gave you a kiss before trying the food.

Later that day, dinner at your mother’s was a success, everyone finishing their plates and sharing different stories under the Johannesburg stars.

The next day was filled with fun activities, hitting up the amusement park Gold Reef City then late night karting, the friendship between everyone was growing as smiles never left their faces.

a week later

yourusername

liked by patooward, mclaren and 3,728,912 others

yourusername south africa my baby, it’s been amazing 🇿🇦

view comments

landonorris take me back (we’re checking out of Four Seasons)

danielricciardo and what about your gf that you met? 🤨

landonorris she’s coming to the next race 🫡

maxverstappen33 three wins and that’s it

yourusername do you want me to tell on you to my mom?

maxverstappen33 no 😨

charles_leclerc i need another kota

alexandrasaintmleux we’re actually shaking for one right now

yourusername askies 🤣 sorry

loganseargent never thought i’d ever be an avid lover of amapiano

user what multiverse are we in that Logan, the most american person to ever exist, is saying this

user it’s the South Africa effect baby 😝🇿🇦

lewishamilton can we come here every winter break?

carlossainz55 can we please? all my joy is at Gold Reef City

alex_albon i just want her mother’s cooking again, changed my life

f1 y/n, what did you do to our drivers

yourusername if you add kyalami to the calendar, you’ll know 😚

lilymhe someone gave me a painting of you and i will be hanging it in my home

francisca.cgomes to complete the shrine

landonorris to our Sugar Mother Y/n

yukitsunoda i got all the recipes, i’m ready

yourusername we need 20 kotas stat! 🫵🏽

oscarpiastri even your money looks so cool 😭

user if this is not the greatest representation of our country, i don’t know what it is

mercedesamgf1 can we join next time? 😔

yourusername no

tyla I LOVE YOU

yourusername I LOVE YOUUUU

-

saint’s notes: ahhhhhh hope y’all enjoyed! mwah 😝 i tried but it feels sorta rushed?? idk, let me know

[lestappenforever]

Hello hellooo it’s your social psychological anon back with some takes because I have so much to say but am waiting till after the race but I, like most of the lesteppies, cannot get over the comments made at the post quali press con and had some very insistent thoughts that need to be aired immediately.

I am of course talking specifically about the comment from Max of “I always thought if I made it Charles would too”. This is an actual goldmine comment from Max because it really lets us have a glimpse and a clue into how Max thinking about Charles -apart from the obvious he is my rival and we hated each other as kids- and really beautifully contextualises their interactions (also explains further why Max is, for me atleast, such a standout factor in lestappen interactions). Because Charles says the opposite, that at the time F1 was so far away and he couldn’t even think about it and he didn’t have the same thoughts as Max. Keep in mind Max’s background, he was essentially conditioned for F1, to think that every other option is inadequate and that there can be no future except in F1. And in that future, he most likely factored in Charles as a given. When he thought about his future in F1 he thought about how he will fight Charles and when he thought about Charles he thought about them in F1 and I think that is absolutely insane and such an interesting window into how max has thought and continues to think about Charles. That quote about how Jos prophesied that they would be fighting even in F1 in the same way Max did the same, it is a natural conclusion that they would always be together and fighting because they were the standouts.

It makes me wonder then- pure speculation- that if Charles became synonymous with Max’s dream of a future at F1, how far Charles became a part of that dream and how far Max took on Charles’ success as his own as it contributed to the ultimate imagined future of Max fighting Charles in F1. It would certainly be in line with Max/Jos helping Charles once Max moved to F1 by recommending him (though this isn’t confirmed information so take this piece of lestappen lore with a pinch of salt) and Max essentially being rather unsatisfied that Charles’ team isn’t giving him a car that could allow them to fight. Their infamous 2019 Austria podium also where the differences between the two was seen where Max wanted to celebrate with him by turning towards him to spray champagne but Charles turned away and walked off rather angrily. In fact that entire season post-Austria you can see how Max is the one who is trying to interact with Charles and is looking for that approval and recognition from him, to have the reciprocity within recognising their joint achievement and how far they’ve come. I noticed it first with the flag-gate video where Max, geography extraordinaire, ✨forgets✨ what Monaco’s flag looks like. But even before that you can see max staring at Charles trying to think of ways to try and interact before he notices the flag and goes for it. (https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeJ9yY74/ I first noticed it in this video so here it is, also the music is just fitting)

This also very much supports what I have previously said (https://www.tumblr.com/lestappenforever/733057722779664384/hello-hello-again-i-am-very-honoured-to-be-called) about Max’s insistence that they are rivals because he wants to have this relationship with him because it has been an integral part of his dream- in that way that you imagine scenarios of the future - Max doesn’t care about his rivalry with Lewis or Daniel or anyone else because it has to be Charles for that imagined future dream of them racing in F1 to come true- it has always been Charles and it always will be (que Charles verbatim saying that “he wants to beat me as much as I want to beat him and that’s how it is and always has been”)

This makes what Max says about them being here together hit so much harder because he first says he’s never been surprised that Charles is sitting here and then after a sentence reiterates again: “it’s not a surprise that we are sitting here together”. It’s not enough to say that he isn’t surprised Charles is here he has to go back and re-emphasis that it’s no surprise they are here together and re-frame the statement to put Charles and Max together. Again, I’ve said this before about performative relationships with those you regard highly and drawing a sense of intimacy from knowing that other people thinking about the two of them in conjunction with one another- in the minds of the outsider they exist as a duo and this is an impression that Max especially seems to want to cultivate (also seen during the interview where Max invites Charles because the interviewer literally says that he will ask Charles in a moment but Max will take the opportunity to bring them closer and that’s just 🤌).

Anyway, that’s all for the moment. Let’s collectively manifest on track action for our boys because they deserve it and maybe finally see a Charles pole to win conversion (as long as Max doesn’t try to dive bomb into him into turn 1 because that will defo be hectic for mid-field especially). ✨ 🫶

Clickable TIktok link for convenience.

Clickable link to previous ask for convenience.

Social-psychological anon is back with more brilliant insights into Lestappen dynamics.

Social-psychological anon, I have missed you so much, and this ask has made my entire weekend. The perspective you are giving into the Lestappen content from today is just *chef's kiss*. ❤️

[dear-ao3]

back with more!

-so back to 2016 Briefly. i need you all to know that nico did Bonkers shit to win. this was pre driver weight minimum restrictions so to get weight off the car (so he could go faster) he took the paint off his helmet (it was previously yellow because he and lewis had yellow helmets when they karted together or something), he cut his socks, he took parts off his seat, he stopped cycling to loose muscle in his legs, he stopped sleeping with his wife to focus better and No he should Not have done this but its important to know that he Did and that was why he Stopped because he knew racing lewis was quite literally killing him and he couldnt keep at it

-and like willd shit happened that season too. notably they crashed into eachother in Barcelona and toto aparently made them pay for the damages. they had an insane teammate rivalry. one of the most insane.

-yes he is the only one to beat lewis at his peak in equal machinery

-so anyway he announces his retirement at the 2016 prize giving ceremony which was like less than a week after the championship was won

-prior to that he and lewis did a press conference together at the last race in abu dhabi and by all accounts theyre like not really getting along too well at this point and lewis spends like a whole several minutes praising nico being like yeah whatever happens happens in the race and ive loved racing with him as a teammate like we dreamed about this as kids im proud of him hes come so far blah blah blah and nicos like. in tears next to him (remember lewis didnt know that if nico won he was retiring) and nico says something about how the only thing he could manage to eat that week was fucking kellogg frosties which was the stupid cereal the two of them used to eat and yeah you all see how insane this is anyway i could go on but i will Not

-so nico retires after his first and only win to everyones surprise, lewis goes on to win 4 (or 5 depending on who you ask) consecutive titles

-nico fucks off and does his own thing for awhile, as i said hes married and he has two girls and he also has a youtube channel that he used after he left racing to pretty much like praise the shit out of lewis hamilton and his driving and whatever else

-he also returns to the paddock as a part time commentator for sky sports. which is very interesting because its pretty obvious every time that he is there that he hates pretty much everyone on the commentary team and has no regard for rules and just says whatever the fuck he wants. its pretty clear he doesnt do it for money (he has more than enough of that) but doe sit cause he actually like racing and cars and all that (its really interesting to hear him speak about the cars cause he actually knows how to explain things well)

-this is sort of a disaster sometimes but its an interesting disaster. because on top of everything nico is fucking Smart. im pretty sure (and again none of this is fact checked) that he got into some top engineering college and decided to race instead. like the things he knows about racing and cars is wild. so the normal commentators will say something and nico will be like no. incorrect. wrong. see what he did there? he lost 2 tenths on that corner. his brake balance was off. his engine mode needs adjusting. they need more downforce. or whatever. and he will be Right.

-he also just. says things. like again, theres really only so much you can reveal that is public knowledge. last weekend Alone when he was commentating on a practice session he was like hehe yeah so i have an offer in my email right now to buy part of alpine (a team which has repeatedly denied that they are Not for sale btw) and i could buy it but its too much of a disaster so im not interested. oh how much is it? why should i tell you??? oh i will anyway its a billion euros! for example.

-and then he will also call people the hell out. presently hes waging absolute war against mclaren because they refuse to distinguish a number 1 and number 2 driver and thats exactly the hot water mess that nico found himself in at mercedes with lewis (tho. as i have said. lando and oscar are NOT comparable to brocedes. no one ever was and no one ever will be again the circumstances were too insane)

-so yeah. he shows up in a cunty weird and kind of ugly outfit (usually consisting of several different shades of white), takes a picture in front of a team or a person or makes a prediction that curses someone (unless its lewis lewis is immune to the curse), says bonkers shit, prasies lewis hamilton live on air and then leaves

-and yeah he still praises the hell out of lewis and talks about how incredible of a driver he is and this and that and knows literally his driving style inside out and backwards (the clips of him commentating on lewis laps are insane) but despite this lewis will not talk about him, will not even mention him, will actually go out of his way to not mention him (for the Record i am obligated to put here that i dont think lewis owes nico anything at all whatsoever and i am not saying that he does, but this is a post about nico not lewis) meanwhile nicos like has anyone talked about lewis recently? has anyone pulled out an insane career stat of his that is slightly obscure? cause i will and ill do it right now

-and they live in the same apartment building in monaco but apparently dont speak to eachother because of how awful the teammate thing was but every now and then nico will drop some insane piece of lore that has everyone going hold on wait fucking What (like that lewis gets his kids presents at christmas)

-but yeah other than that hes like busy being a girl dad and posting on his favorite social media platform (LinkedIn) (yes i am serious) and spends a lot of time advocating for the environment and figuring out how to make f1 and cars better for the planet and all that and yes he also had a terrible botox era that we wont talk about but yeah overall. insane man. absolutely insane. no ones ever done it like him and no one ever will again.

photos for context:

nico and lewis gokarting

nico at williams in his peak britney era:

the nico lewis first podium that kills everyone:

nico at mercedes:

some fuck ass mercedes pr:

nico serving cunt at the paddock this year:

and if youre really enthralled, this highlight reel from his youtube

hey wait im also new to f1 but i saw the other ask and i was curious abt what you meant when you said no one will ever do it like nico rosberg?? also retiring after your first championship win is insane lmao what a power move

nico rosberg is just. he’s insane. he’s cunty. he’s wonderful. he possesses sass and audacity unlike any other. we unfortunately do not have time to get into his whole story (my lunch break is only so long) but here’s some highlights:

-technically he’s a nepo baby. his dad, keke rosberg, won the world championship in 1982 and they remain one of the Few father son duos to both win a world championship (don’t ask me who the others are idk but i know they exist)

-he and lewis hamilton met when they were kids in the late 90s sometime and were gokarting teammates at some point in i think the early 2000s? (not fact checking i don’t have the time rn) and they were Besties. they’ve talked about this before, mostly in older interviews, but the gist is that both of them were outcasts from the other karting kid in opposite ways (nico was the son of a champion and rich and lewis was from nothing and pretty much the only poc most of the time) and that drew them together and they were Menaces according to legend. everything was a competition and they trashed hotel rooms and ate pizza and ice cream and kellogg frosties and went to greece and dreamed of being in f1 together

-nico signed with williams in 2006. his teammate was mark webber. and nico had long flowing blonde hair (this is important). he crashed at one race and mark webber said “britney’s in the wall” cementing the nickname britney, like britney spears. jenson button (another driver) said later on that they called nico britney because he was “very pretty” (do with that what you will)

-he was just. insane. cunty. constantly looked like a european bond villain. wore god awful shoes. whole bit. once he stayed in his car when it got craned off the track cause he didn’t want his hair to get wet. which is insane cause he’s wearing a helmet it would have gotten equally as not wet had he gotten out.

-anyway, lewis made it to f1 in 2007 and they had their first podium together i think that year (?) and it’s cute and fun and oh boy you’re not ready for what these two have coming

-lewis won the championship in 2008 (but he almost won in 2007, his rookie year) at mclaren.

-nico went to mercedes when they recentered the grid in 2010. his teammate was michael schumacher, who was fresh out of retirement. (yes the michael schumacher, 7x world champion). michael fucked with nico endlessly according to legend, including making him piss in a bucket pre race because he would hog the bathroom until the last possible second. nico still out preformed him most of the time, and the car was mid as hell.

-michael retired part 2 at the end of 2012. and who replaced him but lewis hamilton

-so the two of them were teammates again. the cards were absolute Stacked against them. because yes they were besties yes they’d known eachother forever but the first person you’re judged against is your teammate. and you’re trying to beat your teammate. and lewis already had a championship. nico wanted a championship.

-2013 was relatively chill. the car was kinda mid. they did well but not fantastic and did some fuck ass pr (highly reccomend looking those videos up)

-2014 they had a car that could win. and they started fighting eachother for wins. they played all kinds of mind games against eachother and withheld stats and nico ran illegal engine modes (supposedly) and lewis said they were no longer friends after nico supposedly wrecked his monaco qualifying one year but they claimed they still supported eachother and were friends off track. lewis won in 2014 and in 2015. but nico was right behind him and he wanted to win a championship, he didn’t want to be a number 2 driver

-so in 2016 nico did some insane shit. he stopped sleeping with his wife so that he could get better sleep or something, he did weird things to cut weight, he basically did everything and then some to win. and then he did. he won the championship and then at the prize giving ceremony announced he was retiring. he didn’t tell lewis this.

more after i get off work :)

[superm4ks]

Top 10 essential Verstappen races list please!

I habe been watching since I was a literal infant but I kinda took a break from 2014 until 2018 so I missed a lot of teenage Max lore. Now I treated myself to some f1tv for Christmas and want to rewatch a couple old races!!!

Malaysia 2015 Baby boys first points on his 2nd ever f1 start. Drags that lil toro rosso to q3 and then beats both red bulls. Also very funny to listen to the sky commentary because they dont take him seriously at all but he keeps doing things with that car he shouldnt be able to do so they have to keep talking about him and they're so annoyed about itnklfdjgkfdj

Singapore, 2015 classic max race. car d1es at the start. somehow makes it back on track 1 lap down, waits for his main character moment. gets it on lap 13. breezes past the field. gets told to swap positions. literally yells 'NO' and does not do it. U thought brazil 2022 was shocking, well. Educate yourself

USA, 2015 first of all there was a whole hurricane happening bro like a literal hurricane everything about thsi race is like .. what is going on. Hello. Is that Elton John???? Mind you, its Max's rookie season. Austin with wet conditions is the race track equivalent of a fucking minefield I think like half the grid retired. And still, u will witness that lil boy bring the fight to Merc and Ferrari. He actually fought Lewis and Seb Vettel for a podium. In a toro rosso. yeah

Spain, 2016 anime protagonist race. lil babby makes the jump to the big sister team amid much mockery and controversy, and wins on his debut. I can't say this enough. Max has made a career out of owning up to bitches. Every single time. Mercs take each other out, Danny ric gets inexplicably put on a 3 stopper ((lmfao)), and Max holds off fucking RAIKKONEN on DRS!!!! for like a billion years. Not a wheel out of place. And not even his defining moment of the year. For that, u gotta go with--

Brazil, 2016 He became MOTHER age 19 in Interlagos. Nothing else to say. if ur a verstappie u gotta watch Brazil 2016 like twice a year for ur troubles

China, 2017 just a super underrated race imo. Imma go on a tangent for a bit sorry but one of most insane aspects of Max's move to f1 is that he did so with 1 year of experience in f3. Like f3 had been the strongest engine he'd driven up to that point. f3 cars are fast but they're not f1 fast. So Max was supposed to be like a lil squid in a bowl of sharks. To anybody else it wouldve been extremely intimidating and scary to make that jump and its likely they would've sacrificed speed just because they didn't have that confidence in the car yet. And there'd be nothing wrong with that, thats just normal. Well Max never did normal. Seb put it perfectly and Im pretty sure he's not the first driver to comment on this, but Max goes for moves that nobody in their right mind would even dream of attempting. Shit that takes a special type of instinct, but more than that, a complete lack of fear. And with that comes the other side of the sword, which is the recklessness. Max was a reckless driver. A lot of drivers can be reckless, especially if the car doesn't allow them to just cruise to podiums, but Max was a child. This race is so important in his curriculum because it solidifies that his recklessness is not foolishness, but necessity. Bro passed 9 cars in one lap and held off danny ric with older tires. This after a disaster quali where he finished second to last because of an engine problem. To come back from that and get a podium the way he did, its a character drive. It showed who he was and Max was the future

Mexico, 2017 here. Yeah

Austria, 2018 quali is a must watch for this one. Listening to Max educate his engineers on 'discipline' for even DARING to ask him to pass danny ric prolly makes that move to Renault less confusing. Like u cant fight that. That is not a mf who will ever let u win a world title. But he didnt show it just during quali. This race is important because u can compare it some of his most dominant 2022 victories, in a car that would literally spit out its own tires and explode if Max idk farted or something.

USA, 2018 ok I'm biased but max has never come to the US and not served. Idk why its kind of funny but every time he steps foot in here he stunts and gets super wet and looks amazing. He's also absurdly good in US circuits for no reason. Like Max says, u gotta know how to defend not just attack. Prolly one of the most impressive defensive performances from him here, against none other than sir hammer herself. Lew had fresher tires and a championship winning merc and still couldnt crack lil bro with his renault engine, cap and a dream. Also they literally installed a whole new curb on the track specifically to make drivers stick to track limits and called it the verstopper and that. literal tears in my eyes yk look at this shit

Look at her . anyway

Enjoy thjs humble selection of our fav boy genius/fbi most wanted best hits. Next up

✨😤 Part 2 😤✨ Part 3 🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨

[felixthexlll]

•Want to see it again?•

[LH|44🇬🇧][MV|1🇳🇱]

Request: maybe some 4433 fic? I thought for a long time about that Australian press conference where Lewis was joking about max wearing a nipple piercing but no one has written anything like that.

[+18, Rivals with benefits, everyone is fruity, please men with nipple piercings are hot, kind of short I had a hard time figuring out what to write :( ]

  The Melbourne GP was a special one, not only was it the first time racing there since covid-19 but, it was also Daniels's home race. No one could lie and say they didn't like Danny, he was too much of a ray of sunshine and pure giggles to be able to. Everyone on track could practically feel his excitement and anticipation, his need to be back home was palatable.

He needed it, everyone was hoping that all the love and support would help with his immense displeasure with the start of the season. Many if not all the drivers decided to amp up the rowdiness along the tack to hype Daniel up

The day had just started and Max could already feel the energy on the track. He was walking through the alley to get to the media pen, Vicky was walking beside him looking at an email on her phone while quickly briefing him on some questions that might be asked.

 He felt sticky in the overalls and fireproof wear, even if it was not too hot, the sun beating down on him was making him sweaty. Up ahead he could see other drivers and their teams make their way into the pen. When he gets inside the blast of air-con on him was enough to make his hair stand on end.

“Here, they have you sat next to Hamilton” Vicky shoves a towel into his hand prompting him to wipe his face. The sweat made his face itchy after being wiped off, he tossed the towel down beside his Red Bull and took his cap off. It felt like he had just taken a shower because of the moister that has developed under his cap. He sat there gathering himself watching everyone pour in.

“Good morning mate” Hamilton sat down in the seat beside him, and one of Lewis's hands gave his shoulder a tight squeeze. Both of the boys had a smirk on their faces, Max licked his lips. “Morning, how did you sleep?” A dark chuckle comes from Lewis “I slept like a baby, what about you pretty boy” Max can't help but bite his lip to retain his huge smile. “Oh I slept like an angel” It was a reasonable question, both of them stayed up way to late drawling orgasms' out of each other, bathing in the moans and groans; making an absolute mess. 

The intense stare Hamilton gave the younger boy was exciting, he could already tell the plans for tonight. It was cut off by the indication of the conference starting as reporters and team members got into position.

It felt like Max was on autopilot, the years of media and PR training made him a powerhouse of things like this; while other drivers paid attention the what was said, Max was in another world. A certain question caught his attention though, it was about the newly enforced jewelry rule, one that he and everyone thought was stupid because of the way it's being upheld.

  Hamilton was quick to respond “Well I have certain piercings that I just really can't take out, that few people know about....” The eye contact was heavy, a Cheshire grin spreads across his face. “-No, I'm just joking.” Max couldn't help but shift in his seat, his upper body leaning over to the man to his right. “ I would be too heavy if I wore jewelry, so it's not possible” The younger comment was one laced heavy with sarcasm. laughter rippled among the crowd in front. Lewis was quick to bite back, “ I know you have a nipple piercing man, come on.” Of course, he knew, the man had loved them since the second he got them, spending what felt like hours torturing the poor boy rolling them between his teeth. 

The Dutchman couldn't help but be a brat, he loved when they butted heads or the stupid fight they get in. It just fueled what happened behind the scenes. “ Do you want to see it again? “ The banter seemed light to everyone else but the tension was thick.

Max couldn't help but replay the moment in his head later when he was preparing in his driver's room. The helmet on the table across from him, a never-ending staring contest. He knew he was in trouble, the look Lewis gave him on the way out of the pen was enough to make his skin crawl, fuck. His door was whipped open an then closed and locked before he had time to react. Max found a heavily ringed hand pinning him to the small couch. Lewis was straddling max dominating him.

The young boy was sure he was bright red, the hungry look in the man above him making him strain against his pants. Lewis can't help but laugh at the pitiful look on his face, he leans down and presses a soft kiss against his cheek. “Why don't you show me it again baby boy.” 

He was baffled, and hard. “Fuck, how did you get in here?” His heavy breath in his ear had Max's back arching. the feeling of his plumb lips under the shell of his ear makes him pull on the back of his shirt. “I will always find a way to you.” 

The words were a lot more passionate and sentimental than the boys were prepared for, it was obvious this was no longer just sleeping together, that time had passed months ago. It was something they refused to acknowledge between them, last year had taken such a toll on their relationship, that they spent a whole month avoiding each either. 

It wasn't until a night when Max was drunk and showed up at Lewis's door, After that it was hard to discern their relationship. They cared deeply for each other, the nights spent talking after sex, that turned into morning spent together, into spending days. 

Whatever it was it was certainly something that neither was ready to admit, neither to themselves nor to others. The feeling of Lewis grinding into him drew him out of his thoughts. Maybe it didn't matter what they were, because all he cared about was just having the man. 

The kiss was heated when there lips finally met, the brit couldn't help but nip the poor boy under him, a whiny groan pulled from his throat. “Please daddy” Max should have gotten whiplash with how fast his overalls, boxers, and long johns. The feeling of the air against his tip made him shiver. Lewis shuffled onto his knees in front of him. 

He gently blew air on the tip, a grunt leaves Max’s swollen lips, his cock twitching. Hamilton's mouth felt like heaven, he takes him fully in his mouth hollowing his cheeks quickly. The Dutchman bites his knuckles to suppress his moans, he cant help but start to thrusts' into leis mouth when he swallow's around him. 

The sound of his mouth is nasty, the sight of the drool and pre cum is maddening.  The brit pushes his hips into the couch ceasing his movement, it makes the boy whine. he picks up his pace taking him deep into the back of his throat. Max’s breathing picks up and the pulsing in his cock gets stronger. 

When he releases into Hamilton's mouth he lets outa loud grunt. The older man stands up and pats the inside of his thigh. he licks his lips to show off him swallowing all of it. Max’s face is flushed and the hair is stuck to his forehead, he’s panting like a bitch in heat. The brit pinches his cheek, “Have a good Practice” 

He leave just as fast as he came leaving nothing but a trembling Verstappen in his way.

A/N: Ahhhhh Im so bad at endings whyyy, sorry I have been AFK Ive been so busy. I should have another fic out tonight, please send more requests! 

Ciao- F🇫🇷💙

[f1united]

Zoo - DR3 Imagine

Daniel Ricciardo Imagine

Summary: You and Daniel are having a family day and talk about the future :)

Word Count: 2.9k

Please let me know if you have any f1 requests, I am more than happy to write anything for you!

As much as you loved watching Daniel race, you were grateful that you were able to spend some time with him now the season had ended. Although you were lucky enough to attend many races, your work schedule wouldn’t always allow it and you also wanted to still have time on the weekends to catch up with your friends and family.

You’d decided to spend this Christmas in Australia, it was your first away from home, but you were loving the warm weather and seeing a bit more of Daniel’s family. You had met them plenty of times now and were so thankful for how well you got on with them. It was late last night that Daniel had climbed into bed with you, he had been out seeing some of his old friends, leaving you to have the house to yourself that evening.

You loved spending time with Daniel, but it was nice to have some alone time after the busy race weekend. You had a nice long bath and a mini pamper session before painting your nails in front of the tv. You were so tired that you can barely remember him coming home, only noticing when the bed dipped beside you as he pulled you close to his chest.

Your early night may have been the reason you woke up so early the next morning. You weren’t really a morning person but had got a bit better at it over the years. Daniel’s family were coming over for breakfast and then the plan was to go to the local zoo. His nephew loved animals and when you had suggested the idea everyone couldn’t see why not, plus you hadn’t been to a zoo outside the UK and wanted to see if it was any different.

You rolled out of bed and into the shower. Your shoulders relaxed as the warm water hit your skin. It wasn’t as nice as the heat from Daniel’s body, but then you didn’t think anything could ever beat that. You stepped from the shower onto the fluffy bathmat, quickly wrapping yourself in a towel to dry yourself off. You walked into the dressing room opposite the bedroom and slipped on a nice summer dress. You rummaged through the drawers to find some nude underwear that would be discreet under the light colour of the dress but were unsuccessful, realising they must be in the utility room drying with the clothes you had washed yesterday. You placed your towel in the wash basket and made your way downstairs.

The view from Daniel’s kitchen was beautiful, the white rectangular island stretched for metres and looked across to the dining table and lounge area where you’d often have company. The folding glass doors separated you from a huge garden, some of his nephew’s toys were littered around the patio from when he’d last visited and the paving stones drew your eyes towards the pool.

You were lucky to have met Daniel, it had always been you dream to work in Formula 1 and you were beyond grateful to have had the chance to join McLaren in your early 20’s. Of course you knew who Daniel was, and he grew to know who you were. Working mainly at the office in the UK, you didn’t often see him to begin with. You weren’t too annoyed about it, as you fancied the pants off him and found it hard not to blush anytime he even looked in your direction. Your team was more in the background, didn’t attend races and just focused on the work at hand so when a few of your team members began getting invites you were slightly confused. You’d spoken to Zac Brown about it, he had interviewed you for your role and you had got on very well with him ever since. He had just said that your hard work had been noticed and smiled as you left his office.

Your team was overjoyed with the invites to races, it was something all of you had always spoken about. You were more of a family unit, you saw each other for hours on end every day and had grown so close that summer barbeques and birthday get togethers happened regularly, they made great drinking partners.

Whenever you’d see Daniel at a race, you’d wish him good luck as everyone else around him would too. However, you didn’t know he’d noticed how your eyes lingered on his body slightly longer whenever he was in his race suit or how you intensely stared at his hands when he ruffled his hair after he took his helmet off. It wasn’t really new to him, someone was always watching, but something about it being your eyes had got his attention. It made him slightly nervous if he was honest, but the thought of you watching meant he wanted to go out there and do the best he could in the hope that if he saw you after the race you might congratulate him with a smile on your face, and even the thought of that gave him butterflies.

Even though you were unaware of this, there was never a time he’d finish a race and you wouldn’t congratulate him. You’d grown up watching him race and just thought he was brilliant. A mixture of his personality and nonstop smile along with his determination meant that even in a race where Lewis Hamilton might even be about to win a championship, you would still be watching his car. Whether it was in 2nd or 16th, that’s where your eyes would be. Some of his crew has started to pick up on it, although the people you worked closely with sometimes joked about your little crush on him they never mentioned it outside of the group. As much as it was all fun and games, there was a mutual understanding that this was a professional environment and things like that weren’t to be joked about around management, and especially the drivers. It wasn’t any comments they’d noticed, they would tell Daniel after races how you’d been shouting at the screens just as much as they had, often louder. How you’d cheer when he overtook someone, even if it only meant it was for a single point.

Sometimes he’d question why they told him these things, a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice and they all rolled their eyes at him. They’d noticed how he’d look for you after a race, craving the smallest conversation from you and how he would instantly start paying more attention if he heard your name mentioned. They would poke fun at him and wind him up where they could but at the end of the day he understood he was there to race, and that’s what he did.

You were emptying the dishwasher when his arms snaked around your waist and kissed your shoulder before resting his head on it and whispering a small morning into your ear.

“I’ve been calling down for you, what has you in a little world of your own?” he questioned as you both swayed from side to side lightly.

“Nothing” you smiled as you placed the bowl you’d picked up on the side and turned around to face him.

“You sure about that?” he smirked as your eyes found his. “That smile suggests otherwise” It was true, you were grinning from ear to ear.

“Just thinking about when I first started coming to the paddock, and now here I am in the kitchen of the best-looking driver in Formula 1” he let out a small laugh as you spoke. You wrapped your arms around his neck and gave him a small peck on the lips.

“What can I say? I’m great with the ladies” you playfully smacked him on the arm and frowned before laughing and turning your back to him to continue unloading the dishes. He moved his hands down from your waist to your arse as you bent over to grab something off the lower shelf. Then to your surprise he lifted the bottom part of your dress up.

“Daniel!” you laughed as you shot up and turned around again.

“You seem to have forgotten to put on underwear” he winked at you

“That isn’t my attempt to seduce you” you giggled as he started kissing your face. “It’s in the utility room”

“Lame excuse” he continued kissing you, starting to trail down your neck. Just before he could do anything else, the doorbell rang. He looked at you and groaned as you let out a laugh.

“I’ll go and put some underwear on while you let them in” you unwrapped his arms from around you and left a kiss on the corner of his lips as you made your way across the kitchen and he headed towards the door.

“Or don’t” he responded.

“I’m not really planning on flashing anyone accidently today” you replied. You heard him laugh as he opened the door and greeted his family. His parents and sister’s family made their way into the kitchen as you came out the utility welcoming them all with a hug. It had been a few months since you’d last seen them as you hadn’t been able to make it to all races.

“It’s so lovely to see you” his mum spoke as everyone began sitting down on the sofas. You were nervous when you first met his family. The age difference between Daniel and you wasn’t huge, but it had certainly gained some media attention. You didn’t want his family to think you were with him for his money and fame or even think that you were too immature to be with him. You had never brought it up with him before you’d met his parents, but he could sense you were nervous and knew why. He knew there wasn’t anything for you to worry about but didn’t say anything as he didn’t want it to play on your mind. He was right though, they loved seeing the two of you happy together and could immediately see how genuine your feelings for one another were.

“I’ve missed you guys; I’ve been looking forward to today for ages” you smiled. It was true, you loved spending time with his family. You had a relatively small family but that doesn’t mean it drama free, there was always something going on and here you felt slightly more relaxed. Daniel loved that, for years he couldn’t imagine bringing someone into his family in case they didn’t get along but when he saw how well you fitted in he couldn’t help but watch and smile.

“Y/N” his nephew shouted as he ran through the kitchen towards you. He held him arms out for you to pick him up and you placed him on your hip.

“How are you little man?” you asked

“I’m okay, look!” he said pointing down to a scrape on his knee.

“Oh no, how’d you do that?” you asked

“I fell over out there on the drive” he explained.

“Shall we put some cream on it?” you asked, “we don’t want it to get dirty do we?” he nodded his head as you spoke and carried him over to the medicine cabin and sat him on the worktop before grabbing some antiseptic cream out and rubbing it into his knee.

“Look Uncle Daniel!” he shouted across the kitchen to get his attention as he showed him his knee that now had a plaster on.

“Wow, Auntie Y/N has fixed you!” he gasped making the little boy giggle as you picked him up and put him down on the floor so he could explore wherever he wanted.

“Auntie Y/N?” you questioned Daniel as you began to get food out of the fridge for breakfast. You spoke quietly, you had never been called that before and didn’t want his family thinking that you were the one who wanted to be called that.

“What’s wrong with that?” he replied as he grabbed the eggs and bread from the cupboard next to you.

“Just haven’t been called that before, I don’t want him to think he has to call me that”

“He always calls you Auntie Y/N” Daniel said casually which caused you to freeze a bit. You had been dating for about 3 years now but hadn’t really considered that his nephew had grown up with you around and didn’t know any different. You continued to place the bacon next to the stove and grabbed a frying pan out from the drawer below.

After breakfast was over, you all headed to the zoo and spent the day wondering around visiting all of the animals. Seeing Daniel with his nephew made you smile, they had so much fun together. You also secretly loved when he went into dad mode like when he was making sure that he’d had enough to eat or drink and making sure he had enough sun cream on and wasn’t too hot. It made you excited for the future, not that you had spoke about it in much depth. You both wanted kids but hadn’t discussed when, you just figured it would happen when it felt right.

You all headed back to the house after the zoo, it was getting quite late, so you’d all ordered a takeaway. Daniel’s parents left not long after while the rest of you had some drinks, agreeing that they would all spend the night in the spare room so his nephew could stick to his routine. You didn’t drink much, only a gin with dinner. You wanted Daniel’s sister and her husband to have the chance to get a little bit drunk so agreed to stay sober in case something happened to the toddler and someone needed to be able to drive.

He was currently asleep leaning against your chest while you were all sat on the sofa’s chatting.

“I’ll put him to bed” Daniel’s sister went to get up from the sofa, but the sudden movement sent her head spinning slightly and caused her to sit back down. Everyone let out a little laugh as you volunteered yourself to carry him to the room and make sure he was settled for the night. As you carried him upstairs he stirred a little. Placing him in the bed he started muttering about the animals from today, you spoke back quietly, careful not to wake him even further as you stroked his head lightly and he drifted back to sleep. As you got up to leave, you jumped at Daniel standing in the doorway.

After shutting the door slightly so the noise from downstairs wouldn’t disturb him, Daniel spoke up. “I thought I’d see what was taking so long” he was slightly drunk, his eyes a bit drowsy compared to their normal alertness.

“I’ve been gone for about 2 minutes lover” you replied as he embraced you in a hug.

“I know I just like seeing you with him” now he was just being soppy. You laughed and took his hands into yours as you stepped back.

“I like seeing you with him too” you winked.

“Maybe,” he whispered as he hugged you again, “we should give him a cousin” he lifted you up as he spoke, and you wrapped you legs around his waist. He started walking towards the stairs but then walked past you towards the bedroom.

“Daniel Ricciardo we have visitors’ downstairs” You laughed as he carried you into the room and placed you on the side of the bed.

“They won’t hear if we’re quiet” he suggested as he ran his hand up your thigh.

“No but they’ll definitely know what we’re up to” you ran you fingers through his hair as he leaned over you before pulling him into a kiss. You continued for a minute or two until you could feel him starting to get hard against you. “We can continue this when everyone’s gone to bed” you voice was almost a whisper, you wanting this as much as him but not wanting to be rude to the couple sat downstairs, although if you’d have been drinking too you were sure it would be a completely different scenario.

It wasn’t until late the next morning after waving goodbye to his sister, brother in law and nephew that Daniel had mentioned your conversation from the night before. You both headed back upstairs to the bedroom, you were meeting some friends for lunch and both needed to get ready.

“I wasn’t kidding yesterday” You were doing your makeup in the ensuite mirror as he dried himself off from the shower. You were concentrating more on his body in the reflection than where you were spraying your setting spray. “I want to have kids with you”

With Daniel being older, it played on his mind that by the time you wanted kids, he’d be too old. He hadn’t wanted kids when he was your age and expected you to feel the same but he also didn’t want to be an old dad, he wanted to be involved with as much as he could for as long as he could. Even you thought you’d be a bit lost for words when having kids were mentioned. When you were younger you had wanted to have a secure career path and always imagined having kids in your late twenties, maybe even early thirties. However, things were different now. You loved your job and you had the man of your dreams alongside you.

“Let’s have a baby then”

[dizzyduck44]

George v Lando

So we hadn’t even stumbled out of 2021 before it started. The inevitable George v Lando thing that is coming. Did Mercedes make the right decision? Will George be able to cope with Lewis as a team mate? How long till Lando wins a race?

So let’s slow it down a little, breathe and I’ll explain why this has always been an unfair comparison and will be for another few years and more importantly why Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull aren’t stupid.

The first argument you will hear is the number of podiums Lando has compared to George. Well yes the McLaren is a far superior car than the Williams and in fairness George’s only podium required a biblical rain storm to be achieved. Lando should by rights have a few more already.

In the same bracket you will hear George beat Lando in F2. When you really look into it though the points gap is flattering. Lando had a meltdown in Russia. Going into the wrong pit box, then somehow starting from the wrong grid position the next race, taking the penalty and finally binning it in the wall all in one weekend gifted George the title. Would George have been champion had they gone to the last race with Lando (and Alex) breathing down his neck? That aside when they were wheel to wheel on the track though, it was hold your breath and close your eyes stuff as fearless (and clean) doesn’t even cover it.

Qualifying. Unquestionably these two are outstanding qualifiers. If it comes to pushing the car to the limit with every inch of your talent on display over one lap, under pressure, these two are two of the best in the world. That isn’t going to change anytime soon. Lando’s results look more impressive but see comment above about the cars.

They both had their maiden wins snatched away from them by pure dumb luck. Let’s be fair, George should have won in Sakhir, Lando in Sochi. I think we can agree they were both equally destroyed afterwards. No one can deny the hunger either of them have.

So if they are so evenly balanced then why are people saying Mercedes should have taken Lando over George?

Lando has been seriously underrated for his first two seasons. There were glimpses of what was there but being far too cautious on his behalf muted it. 2021 though with a shiny new contract and the attitude from McLaren of as long as you bring the car home, we don’t care how you do it, let him finally be the kid who blasted through every championship at breakneck speed, not due to his family’s money, but because he won them! He threw the car round like Max, showed he was on Charles’ level of crazy when it came to overtakes and got in Lewis and Valtteri’s way A LOT! The teams know, with the right car, Lando will deliver.

Then you have poor George, arrived in F1 with all the expectations on his shoulders and got handed a milk float, let’s not sugar coat this. Lando said it himself, it’s really hard to lose places when you are starting at the back! However it only took one race in the Merc for all those expectations to be proven. He’s not had the chance to show what he can really do yet. He’s still stuck in the mode Lando was in for the first two years. He’s desperately waiting for someone to take the stabilisers off and let him go for it as well. I’ve no doubt he will. I’ve no doubt George will show why he was the it kid with all the buzz around him for so many years.

Now the issues. For George this is the step up to the big time. His sink or swim moment. He’s never properly had to race Max or Lewis, or Charles. He raced Lando in F2 but honestly Lando, the kid two years younger than him but still got to F1 the same year as him, despite being an age category below for most of his career, will have more confidence at the front of the field. Max is World Champion already at the same age. I don’t think George will be out of his depth but maybe a little more cautious and feel the pressure to prove he is up there.

The reason there is doubt is no one can hand on heart say who is the better driver at this point. Nikki Lauda and Jackie Stewart couldn’t decide between them as juniors. Everyone knows that they could be in the fight for every World Championship from here on in with the right car. That’s why Christian Horner keeps both drivers in high esteem and takes every opportunity to praise them. If Red Bull lose Max, they want George or Lando, regardless of what it costs. That is an open secret, one Zak Brown knows all too well (Pato is being prepared for every eventuality).

The issue Mercedes has is Lando might not be the right ft for them right now, he is still painfully young. That two year difference to George is evident in lots of ways and sadly he is still too young really for a team as cutthroat as Mercedes in my opinion. That being said, last year he was a gigantic pain in their arse! How many times could you sense Toto sitting there thinking, very good, very cute, impressive, but we have been stuck behind you for 6 laps GET OUT THE EFFIN WAY KID!!!

If we were being cruel Lando made Valtteri look average more than once, effectively opening the door for George.

Honestly I think it’s about control right now. Mercedes can’t afford to let George wander off to someone else. He’s far too good for that. If he’s going to be a World Champion, he will be their World Champion. At the same time when you don’t have another seat to offer, how do you control Lando? Maybe the quickest way was to give him the Merc seat? Do you offer the seat to him on Lewis’ departure, double your chances? What’s the right answer? You can tell from the way Lewis talks he thinks George was the right choice, but he wants someone who drives like Lando to push him and defend for him.

In 2-3 years time I expect both of them to be at Max’s level and then we have a real Championship on our hands.

All whilst praying Ferrari haven’t nailed the new regulations and you all have to fight Charles and Carlos as well. Talk about a plot twist 😂

[yesterdayiwrote]

Ok, I will drop this here in anon form because I need to vent a little and though I'm trying to be as rational as I can, there are so many thing that are adding on top of one another as of late that I'm starting to really dislike. So, I read Lewis' newest bbc interview, and ok, I'm not a team insider so wtf do I know, right? I still don't like they wording he used when talking about George's technical work within the team. I can't help but feel it a bit belittling tho it makes perfect sense 1/2

Hey anon! Feel free to vent! I feel your pain, I’m a chronic over thinker and so I do find myself deeply analysing this stuff on the regular so trust me, you’re not alone.

I’ve always had some questions over the “Lewis sacrificed everything to run experimental set ups and George did nothing” narrative. Was Lewis forced into running experiments by the team or did Lewis choose to run experiments out of sheer determination to find the answer. People have automatically jumped on the first but this article makes it sound more like the latter? And sure it doesn’t matter really, but it does if it’s being used as a stick to beat the other with. George chose to run conservative set ups and benefitted from it, but equally Lewis’ data is worthless without the standard data from George’s car for comparison. It’s still team work.

I think some of the wording is unfortunate and a bit clumsy and I would hope not intentional however I do feel like Mercedes are incredibly bad at protecting their drivers when it matters. They make a big song and dance about Valtteri all the time now, but they very much hung him out to dry last year when he was really struggling and I worry slightly because I can see the same happening again with George. Of course Lewis is their star attraction, but George is their driver and they also have a duty of care towards him.

Toto is the one making comments about them all being little kids left in the rain, but he’s simultaneously harping on about tough love and I think there’s definite limits to that that he maybe doesn’t always recognise. We don’t see the full workings of everything behind the scenes of course but as people have started turning on George it’s almost felt like it’s come from all angles. He’s stated a few times recently that he’s suffering from self doubt, and so seeing Toto contribute to that, along with everyone suddenly saying he’s the worst driver and simultaneously undermining what he has achieved in order to acknowledge that maybe Lewis hasn’t done as badly as everyone tried to imply at the start…it’s not very nice seeing all that happen at once because it feels like a fast track to some kind of spiral if you’re not equipped to deal with it.

I think it’s sadder to me because George is SO vocally outspoken on supporting Lewis and Mercedes, even downplaying his own results at the start of the season, that it does feel kind of sad not seeing that entirely reciprocated whether that’s verbally or via the team social media or whatever. Although I think it’s easier to ruminate when you’re in a fan position and you end up ultimately reading and processing everything that’s said about a driver you like. It is very easy to feel parasocial about it, even if it’s from a protective place. Not worrying about things I can’t control is still something I’m trying to master so I’m not the best person to advise in that sense! At the end of the day, we know he’s had a great season all things considered, the rest of it. The results will go in the history books and the ultimately meaningless discourse won’t 🤷🏼‍♀️

[f1]

Hamilton: Red Bull proved me wrong after 2011 drinks company quote | 2022 Dutch Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton says Red Bull’s rising performance has shown he was wrong to refer to them as “just a drinks company” over a decade ago. The Mercedes driver made the comment in 2011 when he was driving for McLaren. Red Bull had just won their first constructors’ championship and taken Sebastian Vettel to the drivers’ title. Speaking ahead of that season, Hamilton said his team and other car manufacturers would not allow Red Bull to continue beating them. “Red Bull are not a manufacturer, they are a drinks company,” he said. “It’s a drinks company versus McLaren, Ferrari history. “I don’t know what their plan is. Our team is building to become a bigger manufacturer, like Ferrari, and I can only see our team being there for a ridiculous amount of time. It is a pure-bred racing team.” Red Bull’s 2010 success was the first of four seasons in which they and Vettel swept both titles. Hamilton and Mercedes halted their winning run, but Max Verstappen narrowly took the drivers’ title last year, in contentious circumstances, and Red Bull are now dominating the 2022 season. Hamilton said Red Bull’s success had shown he had been wrong to question their commitment to succeeding in F1, and singled out its chief technical officer Adrian Newey for praise. “I think the team, it is a great team,” he said. “They’ve generally had really great cars for some time. “I think that they used to have really high ride heights and had more drag before. I think they realised and experienced this year that their engine actually isn’t slower than others, it was more that they had a lot more drag in previous years. They’ve done a fantastic job.” Hamilton’s “drinks company” comment rankled with many at Red Bull. Team principal Christian Horner referred to it ahead of last year’s championship showdown in Abu Dhabi. But Hamilton insisted he did not mean it as a criticism. “Anything I would have said in the past about the team I didn’t mean it in a negative way,” he said. “I think years ago I said something about them being a drinks company and stuff like that, and it was really just highlighting that car manufacturers, you would bet on a car manufacturer, more so. But they’ve proved me wrong and everyone and they’ve done a great job.” Newey has done a particularly good job with Red Bull’s latest car, said Hamilton, following the team’s dominant one-two at Spa. “Adrian obviously did his thesis on ground effect cars at university so it’s no surprise that what he’s done and created this year is impressive,” said Hamilton. “But I believe in the young guns in our team that we’ll catch up.” Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2022 Dutch Grand Prix Browse all 2022 Dutch Grand Prix articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net

[bottaslicious]

Why do people think george or another younger driver would go to merc and do automatically better than valtteri? it even sounds like an insult to lewis, like some kid would beat him easily right now? is this just young fandom narratives and favorites or are there any commentators actually saying that? (i don't get any race broadcasting, I just watch free highlight usually)

Buckle up folks, I’m about to make every party saaaaaaaad. Even ones who didn’t think they’re a part of this.

To answer your question we must return to the time when Lewis and Nico were teammates. Even then people were calling for Nico to be booted because he didn’t perform on the level Lewis did. We must remember the dynamics and what Mercedes was building at the time - they weren’t the dynasty yet, Lewis, a world champion and known prodigy, came in to replace 7-time WDC Michael Schumacher and Nico had won one race, so despite the fact that Nico had been in the team longer Lewis had a certain edge to him.

One thing must be accepted right away. Lewis’ titles are more valuable than most others’ for a variety of reasons. And each time he wins another one, the value increases exponentially.

What was Nico’s greatest weapon was his history with Lewis. They knew how they work and what weaknesses could potentially be exploited. And even if Nico says Lewis’ biggest weakness is his distracted slumps, he’s mistaken - it’s the fact that Lewis gets paranoid as shit. So whenever Lewis did hit that distracted slump and suddenly Nico performed above him, he became suspicious and thought the world is plotting against him.

“But Iikku, he’s like that today, too!” you say. “Where are you going with this?”

Ah, but he isn’t. Not to the same degree. 2016 marked a turning point to Lewis. He had to examine himself, see what was that cost him the title, what effect the unraveling of their friendship had on him. Pre-2016 Lewis and post-2016 Lewis are two different people because Lewis has learnt to get out of that paranoia or use it to his advantage. And the irony is that by beating Lewis in the same team, with the same car, Nico Rosberg made sure that no one else would ever be able to do the same.

So enter Valtteri. No race wins, considered a prodigy (more on that later). We can’t compare Nico and Valtteri without acknowledging the differences. Nico was racing against someone who had 1-3 titles and he knew intimately, and chose to take advantage of that even with the price that it had, ultimately hurting himself in the process as well. Valtteri has been racing a man who is going to equal Schumacher’s impossible records, in a team that has been built around Lewis. He has none of the advantages Nico had, and to make it even worse - he has this code of honour that he won’t play mind games, that he wants to beat Lewis fair and square.

Let’s take a break to consider F1 as a business. Which has more value - the 4th, 5th, 6th, and most importantly, 7th title of a driver with international appeal even to audiences others can’t appeal to, or the first title of a driver, that granted, does come in with a built-in brand and history that appeals to a large audience but still much smaller than the first driver’s?

I’m not saying it’s intentional, but I don’t believe top teams are able to treat their drivers 100% equal unless they know that other teams cannot match them on track at all - and that has not been the case with Merc since, oh, 2016.

And now we can get to George. I can honestly say this - you people don’t understand what you’re asking for when you want him the Merc seat.

Let’s compare Valtteri and George, because we have the data! George’s first two seasons can be compared to Valtteri’s first. In 2013 there were more cars on the grid and the dynamics were somewhat different but both cars are shitboxes, the team is(was?) the same and guess what - they’re literally achieving the same things. So I’m sorry to say this but if you want George to be Lewis’ teammate, you’re essentially asking for the same thing as now but instead of an experienced midfield, regular podium-getter guy you want to put someone without points against the GOAT.

Not to kink-shame, but that’s sadomasochism.

And to finish this off with making everyone sad, we’ll talk about the Lost Generation of F1.

What I mean with a generation here is more narrow than an actual generation - it’s about 4 years, people that have raced each other since kids, same age, same experiences, contributing to the same parts of history. The Lost Generation in question culminates in one year - 1989.

In 2013, there were three prodigies that were labeled “future world champions” - it was a fact *George Russell voice* that they’d win the title someday. Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, and Jules Bianchi had bright futures ahead of them and they were going to fight over the title against one another one day.

It hasn’t panned out that way.

Daniel and Valtteri are both above the age when you win your maiden title in the modern era - it’s not impossible, absolutely not, but you can’t deny the effect that Lewis’ dominance has had on their careers, and others’ as well. And if there’s a possibility for Lewis Hamilton to take titles 8, 9, 10 and beyond - what does it mean for these two?

“George Russell to Merc” is a cute idea, but it’s naïve to think he’d be able to match Lewis Hamilton now. Dissecting the fandom dynamic is a different essay (which I’d be able to make but I’d get like, murked), but the only thing that George Russell has going on for him on the grand scheme of things is his age and that he might be still around after Lewis isn’t.

[vettelewis]

Lewis Hamilton: ‘There are so many things to fight for’

In his 14th season in Formula One, Lewis Hamilton has won more races than anyone else. And with his win in Turkey earlier this month, he achieved a milestone not just in his career but in the history of his sport: a seventh world title. But it’s also his actions off the circuit that make him our Game Changer Of The Year, as he takes a knee and raises a fist for the global Black Lives Matter movement

By any standards, even if Lewis Hamilton hadn’t spoken into a single microphone this year and hadn’t sent a single tweet and hadn’t once bent knee to ground in order to shake up the very male and oh-so-pale world of Formula One, he would have had one of the most remarkable years of his life. In winning the Portuguese Grand Prix in October, the 35-year-old surpassed Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 race wins, a feat most in the sport felt untouchable. And with his victory at the Turkish Grand Prix earlier this month, he equalled the German’s seven world championships. As his race engineer Peter Bonnington succinctly put it, “You are rewriting the history books.”

But GQ’s Game Changer Of The Year is not only a sporting great: he has quite literally used his exalted platform – or, more specifically, podium – to raise the issue of race in a sport for which it rarely comes up, precisely because there are so few black faces in it. In taking a knee before races – and even making his team change the colour of its car – he has pushed for change in a world that badly needed changing, consequences and criticisms be damned. GQ spoke to him as he was on the cusp of claiming his seventh championship and found that, both on and off the track, he’s just getting started...

Misan Harriman: What was your motivation when you first decided to take the knee?

Lewis Hamilton: I remember watching the video [of George Floyd’s death]. This life extinguished in front of my eyes by the people who are hired to protect others, and I heard when he was calling for his mum. This happens time and time again and that’s why there’s been such a large cry out. When I was watching it, tears came, so many emotions came up. It brought stuff up of my past. I started experiencing racism when I was five and people looked upon it so lightly, when someone would throw out these words, the bullying and the beatings and the intimidation... My dad always said, “Do your talking on the track,” so I held my tongue, but we suppress a lot of things and all my suppressed emotions came up and I was like, “You know what? I have to do something. I cannot stay silent.” If we all stay silent, it will continue for generations. I look at my niece and nephew and do not want them to experience what I experienced.

How do you feel about the response from F1? Thirteen drivers knelt with you in Spain and I think seven didn’t...

It’s not always a good thing for me, but I often post out of just kneejerk reaction, passion. And I called everyone out. I see all of you out there who have platforms, who have a following and just stay quiet. My team was the first to react. Since I joined, I remember mentioning that this team is not diverse. Year on year, I would talk about how our team is not diverse, how our sport is not diverse. So I got to sit down with my team and get into deep conversation of what is going on. And, you know, we changed the car to black and that had to go through a chain of command. Everyone got on board and it was overwhelming to see the response from our partners, because logo colours had to change. Brands put the issue first rather than themselves. I think as a sport, they were very, very nervous of what the right steps were. We saw the reaction: 13 drivers, as you said, took the knee. Obviously, the ones that didn’t, I don’t know if some drivers were like, “I’m not doing it because this is what Lewis is doing” or whether they didn’t get it... I think there are plenty of people in our sport that still don’t understand what we’re doing.

Do you think it helps that your record is so extraordinary that it adds to your ability to do this within the sport? If you weren’t winning, would it be harder?

Well, you can look at some other sports and there’s some people that aren’t super successful yet, but the more successful [you are], the wider your audience, the wider the impact. I’ve had a very, very difficult life and I’ve been thinking a lot about all these wins. I’ve had a lot of success in my racing career. It’s a great feeling, it’s a real privilege, but what does it really mean? All these numbers... what is it? Why was I the one who was chosen to represent black people in our sport? But I think as my life is unravelling, as the journey unravels itself, my purpose here is to utilise my voice to help encourage change. And my goal, really, is to shift the sport in a direction that it perhaps wouldn’t have gone if I wasn’t here. And most certainly not have gone if the Black Lives Matter movement hadn’t started, if George’s life wasn’t so visible.

You were critical of Vitaly Petrov’s comments about Black Lives Matter before the Portuguese Grand Prix. Was it a mistake for the FIA to appoint him as race steward?

I don’t know whether they call it a mistake. I think that the FIA is a large organisation and they are leaders and if you’re going to state what your values are and what you fight for, yet you hire people who don’t seem to have those in common... I don’t understand. I don’t personally get that. I don’t really know the guy very well and I won’t really comment about whether he’s good or not – I think his results speak for themselves over his career – but I thought that it was a step in the wrong direction or even a step backwards. But, you know, you look at Donald Trump, people can obviously see he’s racist. He even said, “I am the least racist person in this room,” so he’s acknowledging [it]. But people are willing to put aside the fact that he’s said so many bad things about minorities, for wealth or for other policies.

Formula One rules were changed after the Tuscan Grand Prix to effectively ban T-shirts with political statements after your Breonna Taylor message. Will you ignore those rules in the future?

If I believe it is important enough, I will. I will do it again. Going into that weekend, the case with Breonna Taylor had really been on my mind and I’ve been chasing down this shirt for weeks. Every weekend that I arrive, we have the spotlight on us and every weekend there is an opportunity to raise awareness. We don’t live in a time when everything is OK. And I remember as I went through the day I was like, “OK, I’ve got to win this race. I can’t come second and wear this top.” So I remember racing my heart out, pushing with every ounce for first place and I remember getting that win and I was like, “OK. I’m here for you, Breonna.” And I put that shirt on and in the 70 years of our sport, no one’s ever stood up there for anything but themselves. And I was standing up there for someone else. It was one of the greatest feelings.

You’re virtually in uncharted territory, on the verge of a record-equalling seventh F1 world championship. Is it sinking in? Is your operating system even able to process what that means?

I remember winning my first championship when I was ten years old and I remember how great that day was. My dad was – is – a tough man. It was really not easy to make that man happy, but I remember winning that championship and we had the best moment – we went away singing, “We are the champions.” And I remember the relief I had in that period of time, because I wasn’t good at anything else. I struggled at school, no matter how hard I tried. Then I won these other championships and, as I started getting older, I realised it doesn’t change anything. Like, it’s a relief of tension for a second, the muscle can let go, but then you’re like, “OK. What’s next?” And it’s taken time to be present and enjoy the moment for a longer period, because it passes so fast. I never thought I’d get to seven. No one ever believed that I would ever get to seven. And now I’m on the verge of equalling the most successful driver of all time and [have] more race wins and I have a chance to potentially go and win more championships. Even if you just take my name away, there will always be at the pinnacle of our sport someone of colour. So I’m very proud of that and I think that’s probably the thing I’m going to be most proud of.

Do you think you have reached your own limits or do you think you can get even better? And would you love to race everyone in the same car, without any advantage?

Well, firstly, on the driving side of things, you know, I was just doing the race yesterday and I was going through this race realising that I’m getting stronger. My skills are getting sharper – my intuition and understanding of strategy, my understanding of my tires... I’m getting stronger and I didn’t expect that. And I didn’t know at what point I was going to plateau, but I’m realising that I’m getting better and that is a great feeling. But it doesn’t come without the hard work. There’s no coincidence that I’m driving the way I am. And, of course, we do live now in a sport where there’s such a gap between all the teams. And people try to devalue what I do because of the machine that I have, so without doubt, I would love to have everyone in the same car, with a track that enables you to really, really race. And then we’ll see... Like, [Fernando] Alonso, I beat him in my first year, straight out. I was 22 years old, a rookie, and I finished ahead of him. Even today, you know, people talk about Max [Verstappen]. Like, it’s probably never ever going to happen, but if I did have Max come into my team and I did the job I currently do and beat him, people would say, “Oh, it’s rigged.”

What about the rumours of you ever being tempted by the red paint of Ferrari?

That’s not going to happen. The Ferrari thing is not going to happen... I think. I’ve always been positive about Ferrari. I watched Michael win there. I’ve always been a Ferrari fan. I remember one of the first cars I ever bought was a Ferrari. And I think it’s a hugely iconic team and brand, particularly. I think the team has, in my period of time... There have been things I’ve seen that I don’t necessarily feel mirror my values and my approach. However, it is a team that every driver, I think, has dreamed of what it would be like to sit in the red cockpit. No disrespect to them, but when I stop I want to work with Mercedes in helping them be even better in the outside world. You know, they’ll always have beautiful cars, but how can we be a more diverse industry?

So when you stop, what are you going to do? Salsa dancing, fishing, Fifa?

Definitely not salsa dancing. And definitely not fishing. I’m vegan! I’m not going to catch fish out of the sea! There’s a lot of different things that I want to do. I would say on the fun side of things for me, I’d love to try a bit of acting. I love my music, so I’ll continue to do my music. And I want to continue to want to learn to play the piano. I really would love to learn a language. My mum is a dancer, so I may take her to go and do a dance course with her son. But then, on the business side of things, there’s not a lot of black-owned businesses in the Fortune 500, for example, and I’ve had the privilege of working with someone like Tommy Hilfiger, who’s really opened my mind to the fashion industry. And I love that industry. I really do have a dream of one day having a fashion brand that’s fully sustainable, fully ethical. I’m always going to be trying to get involved in tech, because that’s the key to the future, I think. And then, most importantly, working with organisations out there to raise awareness for important issues that I care about. There are so many things to fight for.

Lord Hain, who was a Labour cabinet minister and who vice-chairs the All Parliamentary Group On Formula One, said it was “unacceptable” that you hadn’t had a knighthood yet. Is he right?

Well, it’s the first I’ve heard about this! It’s not what I’m racing for. I’m not like, “I’ve got to win these races so I can be knighted.” My granddad served in the Second World War – I’ve got all his medals – and I was so proud to see Captain Sir Tom get his knighthood this year. I think the unsung heroes are the ones that deserve these things. If I’m one day honoured, I don’t think it’s something I’d say no to, but it’s not an issue for me right now. Like, I’m really grateful. The fact I’ve even had the opportunity to go to Buckingham Palace and I’ve got an MBE – like, wow, a kid from Stevenage, so I’m grateful for that. Look at Captain Tom, he was 100 years old before he got recognised.

The black community, obviously, are very proud of our own and sometimes I think the frustration is your level of success should have been recognised a lot earlier on. And maybe, ironically, your activism is getting that kind of attention, instead of what you’ve done on the track, which is a surreal thing to say. I actually think the Lewis Hamilton of 2020, what you’ve done off the track, is almost making as much noise as you making history by beating Schumacher’s record.

The mixed feelings that I’ve had this year... I could never have ever dreamt of having the year that we’ve had, in the sense of the sadness, the isolation, the trials and tribulations. This is going to be the one I remember the most, I think, and, you know, I still have a job to do: I’ve got to win the seventh title. And when I win that seventh title, what am I going to do with it? I’m still going to be taking a knee and using my voice on that day. But I’m near. I’m closing in on it. I’m still energised. I came back last night [after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Italy] and I was like, “I can’t believe I just won that race,” but the thing is, the world moves on so fast, you just keep going.

[photolover82]

The Masked Singer Season 4 Episode 8: Group B Finals with *GASP* a Double Elimination (Commentary and Guesses)

Hello my fellow fans of the Masked Singer! Welcome (or welcome back) to Ana’s Masked Singer Recap where I, Ana, recap every episode of the Masked Singer. It’s that time again, Group B Finals time... so last week I changed up the format for these recaps due to the smackdown but this week there is no smackdown but there is a double elimination so we will be talking about 2 eliminated contestants instead of 1 this time, and oh boy I have a lot to say about one of them in particular, but we’ll get there when we get there. Anyways, let’s just get started, shall we? (please remember to like, comment your guesses/what you think, and follow for more Masked Singer fun)

The Group B Finals was a bit different with 4 contestants instead of 3 battling it out for 2 spots in the Super Six...

The 4 contestants were Whatchamacallit 👁, Serpent 🐍, Seahorse 🐠, and Crocodile 🐊

First, the 2 who got eliminated were:

* DRUMROLL PLEASE*

Serpent 🐍 and Whatchamacallit 👁

Ok, so let’s start with the unsurprising eliminatation aka:

Whatchamacallit 👁

Performance/Commentary: Ok, even though he isn’t my favorite of the 4 (he’s actually my least favorite), he did a great job, it was a fun performance ngl. It was great, even though I predicted that he would leave, I still enjoyed his performance of Lean Back by Terror Squad.

Having said that, the Whatchamacallit was revealed to be (as I suspected):

Lonzo Ball

Yayyyy I knew it (by the way so did Ken, and he went NUTS, it was hilarious).... So here are the clues that gave this guy away lol:

High school prom thing: he actually met his gf/baby momma as the package said when he was a sophomore and she was a senior and she was his prom date

The Friend/Family was a high school teacher dressed as a whistle = reference to what a ref would use in Basketball since he is a 🏀 player

(Ok so there was a clue from a mask from the past with a connection to them.... so I will showcase both the mask from the past of MS and the clue delivered aka the game changing clue) Mask from the past: Ice Cream aka YouTuber/streamer Ninja who Lonzo Ball beat playing Fortnite in a live stream

Game changing clue: he has won a championship = um, yeah self explanatory, he has won basketball championships in UCLA and as an LA Laker

Ok, now elimination #2 aka the elimination I have a lot to say about:

Serpent 🐍

Commentary/Performance: His performance of Cool by the Jonas Brothers was a change of pace for him I am not gonna lie. It was fun and upbeat, something he hasn’t done before on the show. I honestly don’t think this was his best performance, because his voice is more well suited for ballads, and powerful ones at that. I still really enjoyed this tho.

Ok so Serpent was revealed to be:

Dr. Elvis Francois

Ok, I kind of figured it out last minute. Here’s my piece: I said it was Leslie Odom Jr and I really wanted it that to be the case (yo Leslie you better do it next season... I would die if you did), a bunch of people in the comments on YouTube told me it’s Dr. Elvis and I was like nope not him I bet... and I was wrong, I kind of got it this week with the clues & the preview where Ken was crying (here are the clues):

Good Mayo clue= he works at the Mayo Clinic as an orthopedic surgeon

Multiple medical clues= again I say, he works as a surgeon

Peanut butter, banana clues= his namesake, Elvis, like Elvis Presley who is known to like peanut butter and banana sandwiches

Mask from the Past: Eagle aka Dr. Drew = honestly, do I gotta explain this one? DOCTOR 👨‍⚕️, hello?! He’s a Dr as well

Game Changing Clue: he sang with one of the judges before = he actually did sing with Nicole on After the Mask at the beginning of the pandemic

Alright now that’s over, time to celebrate/guess the remaining 2 going into the super 6:

1. Crocodile 🐊

Performance: ok, I feel like Crocodile has kind of fallen under the radar but this was honestly his best performance yet! He sang Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, a classic early 2000s song, and it was amazing. It showed off his vocal range that he hasn’t showed off before and it really made him a very great competitor, it was so close between him and serpent

I am still guessing that Croc is...

Nick Carter

Reason I think this is because of the clues:

New Kids on the Block clues (Step By Step reference) = Backstreet Boys toured with them all over the world

Mask from the past: Bee aka Gladys Knight = they collaborated together on an album, Knight and Carter

Game Changing Clue: was in a cult classic movie= he was an extra in Edward Scissorhands

2. Seahorse 🐠

Performance: As you guys probably know from watching my previous recaps, she is one of my favorite contestants on the show, I love her so much, and her performance of Baby One More Time by Britney Spears didn’t disappoint. Omg it was the best performance of the night for sure! She really knows how to impersonate Britney Spears so well, it’s crazy, I loved it

As for my guess for Seahorse, I am gonna stick with...

Tori Kelly

Here’s why, cue the clues:

Gospel, Spiritual Advisor, Church Clues= she’s a very devout Christian

Guitar, Nashville chicken= she plays guitar all the time when she’s performing (hell that pic of her I used above, she is legit holding a guitar, how obvious could that be) and the Nashville thing is because she does write a lot of country songs there

Christmas Wreath= she just released a Christmas Album, A Tori Kelly Christmas, earlier this year in October

2 Babies= she sang the song Baby Baby with Amy Grant

Mask from the Past: Astronaut aka Hunter Hayes = she beat him when she won the show America’s Most Talented Kid back when they were kids and I think she might have performed with him, there is a country connection between the 2

Game Changer Clue: Never been in a girl group = yup, Tori Kelly never has been in a girl group (look it up... that was a Ken impression if you didn’t get that)

Alright so that’s it, whew that was an interesting recap right there, anyways I can’t wait to see Group C next week! I’ll see you all then, bye guys! Don’t forget to like, comment, and follow for more Masked Singer content (and any other pop culture content you want me to do... when this is over, The Masked Dancer would be next so be on the look out for that late December 😆)

[f1chronicle]

The Lewis Hamilton Fallacy

With Lewis Hamilton setting a new FORMULA 1 win record, and closing in on a record-equalling seventh World Championship, the vitriol on social media has been increasing, causing many to no longer wish to participate in Facebook groups that tolerate driver-bashing and hatred.

So how did we get to this point?

There are many factors at play here such as most drivers having a big presence across social media, but a key premise is we all have a different model of the world.

How you see things is completely different to how I see things, and generally speaking, this is a good thing for society as we can all bring our different points of view to a scenario and find a way forward.

Sadly this is not the case in the comments of nearly every F1 group on Facebook, where people are adamant that their point of view is right, yours is wrong, and you’re an idiot for thinking the way you do.

Let’s take a look at some of the common arguments in F1 groups, and see if they hold water…

Driver X Is The GOAT!

The GOAT argument isn’t specific to the world of F1, just look at the NBA, where LeBron James fourth NBA title stirred great debate as to whether or not he takes the mantle from Michael Jordan.

In F1 we have Lewis Hamilton vs Michael Schumacher, 93 race wins vs 91, six championships vs seven.

So how do we work out who the GOAT is?

Well, we can’t.

And even when F1 and AWS put out their ‘Fastest Driver’ analysis it still didn’t appease people if their guy wasn’t deemed the fastest.

Different drivers, different competition, different cars, the list goes on.

What we can have though is our favourite, and our own criteria for choosing a GOAT.

Personally, I didn’t much enjoy the years where Schumacher and Ferrari dominated. However, he has the most titles so to me he is still the greatest.

Some say the best of all time is Jim Clark, some say Fangio, some say Ayrton Senna. But unless they have seen them race, how can they compare?

Because if they’re using statistics, well the numbers don’t add up.

If they’re using stories and YouTube clips, then they’re comparing some drivers highlight reels against other drivers careers.

The passing of time plays an interesting trick on the mind, where we often forget the flaws, the disappointments, and the losses, remembering only the triumphs and victories.

And that’s ok.

You can have your GOAT, I can have mine, and neither of us can (or should) try to convince others that their GOAT is wrong.

Lewis Hamilton Has The Fastest Car (Or Best Car)

This one is odd, as I’m yet to see a car that wasn’t the fastest win a race.

When Pierre Gasly won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, on that day, his car was the fastest.

Maybe there is something in the air in Italy, as in 2008 Sebastian Vettel won in a Toro Rosso to claim his first win in F1. Funnily enough, on that day, his car was the fastest.

You wouldn’t think you’d need to explain how motorsport works, but what happens is the driver who crosses the line first, ie completes the race distance the fastest, wins. It’s that simple.

These ‘fastest car’ or ‘best car’ arguments add to the Lewis Hamilton Fallacy.

Formula 1 is a meritocracy, and as such, the best drivers usually find themselves into the cockpit of the best car.

From 2010 to 2013, it was widely acknowledged that Red Bull Racing were producing the best cars, as they powered Sebastien Vettel to four consecutive World Championships.

Today though, people are rewriting history as they claim Hamilton has ‘always’ benefitted from being in the best car.

So which one is it?

Because clearly it can’t be both.

The Good Old Days Were Better

This one is always fun, and is something that likely happens to all of us as we get older!

I’ve found myself opining that the English Premier League was better in the 90s and 2000s than it is now for example.

Often, the ‘good old days’ coincide with a time in history where our favourite teams and stars were winning. Funny about that.

Have you ever met a Ferrari fan who thinks the current era is better than the 2000-2004 period?

No, you haven’t.

However, where this one gets really interesting is when people argue that the drivers no longer drive the cars, and that everything is controlled by engineers sitting on a pit wall.

The problem with this is the Williams FW14B, built in 1992, is still considered the most technologically sophisticated car in the history of F1.

It’s 28 years old.

The FW14B had semi-automatic transmission, active suspension, traction control and, for a short time, anti-lock brakes.

It also had Adrian Newey in charge of aerodynamics.

In fact, Williams found the FW14B was proving so successful that when the FW15 was ready half-way through the 1992 FORMULA 1 season, it wasn’t used.

The argument (often made by people who reach their limit reversing out the driveway) that Hamilton turns up on a Sunday, plants his foot on the accelerator, and drives into the distance is disrespectful of the amount of work he puts in to keep his body and mind at peak performance, as well as the staff at Mercedes who put in countless hours perfecting the car.

Mercedes Should Get Max Verstappen, He Would Beat Hamilton

This would be a terrible idea for Mercedes, so it’s a good thing they don’t listen to public opinion on social media.

First of all, it sends a message to drivers in their development program that even if you progress through the program the seat will go to the big-name with more runs on the board.

Second, do you recall the Senna v Prost years?

Sure, Ron Dennis had two prodigious talents at his disposal, but the infighting, egos, and crashes out on course disrupted team harmony, causing factions in the garage and distrust at all levels.

Mercedes currently have the perfect set up, and it’s obviously working, as they pick up championship after championship.

As we’ve seen throughout history, having a genuine #1 and an able deputy leads to both Driver’s and Constructor’s Championships.

During the aforementioned ‘Schumacher Years’ of 2000 to 2004, he was the undisputed #1 and teammate Rubens Barrichello understood his role and performed it admirably.

Lewis Hamilton Doesn’t Have Competitive Teammates

Former Formula 1 World Champions Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, and Nico Rosberg would probably all argue that they are competitive drivers, capable of going wheel to wheel with Hamilton.

And they would be right, because they have the race wins and championships to prove their credentials.

When Hamilton joined the grid in 2007 as a teammate to Fernando Alonso, the belief throughout the paddock was that Alonso was #1 and Hamilton would be there to learn the ropes in F1.

In reality, it didn’t work out like that.

As Hamilton performed well, taking podiums and race wins, tensions mounted, and boiled over at the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, where in the final qualifying session Alonso deliberately delayed Hamilton in the pits, ensuring he wouldn’t be able to get in one last run.

The pair didn’t speak for weeks after the incident.

At the end of the season, both drivers secured four race wins and 12 podiums. Clearly they were allowed to race each other, there were no team orders.

Funnily, after tensions thawed, in 2017 Alonso said “[Hamilton] was able to win with a dominant car, with a good car like 2010 or 2012, or with bad cars like 2009 and 2011. Not all the champions can say that”.

Is Alonso suggesting Hamilton hasn’t always had the best car?

Facebook commenters would disagree with the two-time World Champion…

In Jenson Button’s book ‘Life to the Limit’ Button goes into detail how competitive Hamilton was, and makes it clear that he too was there to win, not just to act as a rear-gunner for Hamilton. An interesting fact Button points out in this same book is that when Rubens Barrichello was his teammate at Honda, Barrichello had it written into his contract that they were equal drivers, he was not to be a #2…

When Hamilton moved to Mercedes for 2013, a move derided by many given Mercedes lacklustre performance in previous years, it was Nico Rosberg’s team.

There is evidence that team orders were used on at least one occasion in 2013, where at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix Rosberg was ordered to stay behind Hamilton in the closing stages, rather than fighting for third place. Hamilton felt the call was wrong, and that Rosberg should have been allowed to race.

During the 2014 Formula 1 season tensions again boiled over for Hamilton and a teammate, as several early exchanges throughout the season threatened to compromise both drivers title aspirations.

The pair had a wheel-to-wheel battle in Bahrain, a down-to-the-wire tussle in Spain, and made contact in Belgium.

In 2016, the year Rosberg won the championship, the two came together at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, in a move that infuriated Niki Lauda, as both drivers crashed out of the race.

The duo came together again at the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix, however both drivers could continue, with Hamilton taking the win.

Nice Rosberg went on to win the 2016 Driver’s Championship, which gives Hamilton detractors a curious dilemma.

On one hand they laugh, saying he was beaten by Nico Rosberg, yet on the other, they say he has never had to race against competitive teammates.

So, which one is it?

Lewis Hamilton Needs To Prove He Can Win With Another Team

This one always brings a smile to the face 😊

I have no problem with fans being new to F1, it’s great! The sport needs more and more fans to keep it going.

The issue is people forgetting that the sport was going before they saw it on Drive to Survive, then commenting on Facebook posts.

For the record, Lewis Hamilton won the 2008 Driver’s Championship with McLaren.

Although they had a Mercedes engine at the time, they were indeed their own team then, as they are now.

And that is a different team to Mercedes.

Hamilton has won championships with two teams.

Before the 2008 season Felipe Massa of Ferrari was the favourite to win the title, and Ferrari did indeed win the Constructor’s Championship, however, in a thrilling finish to the season Hamilton won the title by one point.

His teammate Heikki Kovalainen finished seventh.

But wait, doesn’t the best car always win the Driver’s Championship too?

Well now I don’t know what to believe.

Put Lewis Hamilton In A Williams, Let’s See How He Goes

If Hamilton was to drive for Williams, we already know how it would go – terribly.

Why?

Because it is a poor car that has suffered at the hands of bad management and a lack of finances for several seasons now.

Fernando Alonso drove a horrible McLaren from 2015 to 2017.

Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello had a terrible Honda to drive in 2007 and 2008, and not just because it had a map of the world painted on it. The aerodynamics were poor from the start, and the car just wasn’t competitive.

Does this diminish any of these drivers achievements before or after?

Does it prove their car is what won them races?

No, what it does prove is that Formula 1 is a team sport, and that it takes everyone rowing in the right direction together to deliver a package capable of competing at the front.

If Lionel Messi signed for Newcastle they still wouldn’t win the league. Likewise if Lebron James joined the Knicks, they wouldn’t win an NBA title. The teams they would join are still terrible, but having a champion on the team would improve them and make everyone life their standards over time.

Hamilton wouldn’t win in a Williams, just like Raikkonen can’t win in an Alfa and Vettel can’t get near a podium in a Ferrari this year.

However, the one thing all these drivers have in common is the ability to wring every ounce of performance out of a bad car, and Williams would expect nothing less if they had Hamilton in their race seat.

Politics Don’t Belong in Sport

As a middle-aged white man, this one makes me cringe the most.

Middle aged white men on Facebook, telling a black man what he should and shouldn’t do, how he can protest, and how he is ‘ruining’ the sport for them.

Yikes.

The purpose of a protest is to bring issues to light, to have people questioning their attitudes and beliefs.

Telling someone how they can protest against their perceived suppression is, er, suppressing them further.

You may not agree with ‘We Race As One‘, the BLM movement or drivers taking a knee before the race, but that’s the point. An issue being highlighted is an opportunity for you to question your thinking, to reflect, and possibly make changes. There is no harm in admitting that at one time you held beliefs that you now feel are wrong.

While we’re on the topic of politics in sports and how the handful of minutes it takes to show drivers supporting the ‘End Racism’ message ruining peoples enjoyment of Formula 1, what of other sports?

The ‘Old Firm’ derby is one of the biggest rivalries in sport, and it is founded on religion and politics. People are born into a side based on which side of the clearly divisive line they fall, Catholic vs Protestant, British vs Irish Scot, Conservatism vs Socialism. People have been killed on derby days, and violence in Glasgow increases any time the two clubs play.

Politics don’t belong in sport though, so they must be fighting over something else.

In 1967 Muhammed Ali refused to serve in the US Army during the Vietnam War, uttering the famous line ‘I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong…no Vietcong ever called me nigger.’ Since then he has, rightfully, been lauded as a hero for his stance.

The Vietnam War probably wasn’t political though, was it?

Even the sport of Bandy isn’t immune to politics!

Norway declined to take part in the 1957 Bandy World Championship because the Soviet Union was invited, due to the Soviet invasion of Hungary the year before. The country made a similar protest for the 1969 Bandy World Championship because of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia that year, handing over the hosting of the 1969 event to Sweden.

Indeed Formula 1 itself is no stranger to politics in sport, with the 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix cancelled due to concerns over human rights protests led by Avaaz.

You may not agree with the stance Hamilton has taken, you may not like it, but you do have to respect that in a free society he can use his platform however he sees fit – he built it.

What To Make Of The Lewis Hamilton Fallacy

Now I’m not naïve enough to think that the words on this page will make everyone stop arguing on the internet, that will never happen.

What I do hope though is that it has loosened the grip for some people, and will help them take the blinkers off.

We’re lucky enough to be living in a time where each Sunday, one of the finest Formula 1 drivers the world has ever seen jumps into his Mercedes and puts his life on the line to win trophies, and entertain us.

I’m lucky enough to have seen this level of performance twice, once with Michael Schumacher, now with Lewis Hamilton.

Should I live long enough to see Hamilton’s records beaten, I won’t waste time arguing over who is the GOAT, who had the best car, or why this bright new talent needs to jump through made up hoops to prove themselves to the folks in the bleachers.

I’ll simply be grateful to have witnessed three drivers at the absolute peak of their powers, doing what they love.

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[amberskywrites]

A Perfect Match

Requested by @tina0555! This was incredibly fun to do, and I hope you enjoy!

AO3 Link || Masterpost

Pairing: Abigail/Farmer (No gender specified for farmer)

Fandom / Genre: Stardew Valley / Fluff

Summary: You return your gaze to the hills flashing by, fiddling with your half of a soul charm idly as you let your mind wander. Things already looked much more peaceful here, and when you spotted a sign saying it was only half a mile to Stardew Valley, well, you couldn't help the excitement that started to bubble in your heart.

Who knows, maybe you'd find that other half here.

-------------------

You stare at the charm resting comfortably on your chest as the hours drag by. You weren't sure what you were getting yourself into, going to Stardew Valley, but you dearly hoped it'd be a much better experience than working at Joja. It had never occurred to you that Grandpa had a farm this far from the city- yoba, you never expected him to have a farm at all.

But you were glad that it was now yours. A remote place and a fresh start seemed to be something you desperately needed.

You return your gaze to the hills flashing by, fiddling with your half of a soul charm idly as you let your mind wander. Things already looked much more peaceful here, and when you spotted a sign saying it was only half a mile to Stardew Valley, well, you couldn't help the excitement that started to bubble in your heart.

Who knows, maybe you'd find that other half here.

-

Your first year in the valley was… an experience. Grandpa's farm had been closer to the mountains than you had been expecting, and you focused mostly on clearing the farm and growing crops. You had met everyone, got into some arguments with the local drunk because of his attitude, and hung around Linus or Willy in your off times when you were tired but it was still too early to sleep. You'd explore the mines on rainy days, and the further you went the more interesting things you found.

Abigail really liked the gems you would find. She was almost as excited as you when you had found a particularly sparkly amethyst! You saved it for her birthday, and she loved it. She was surprised you had even remembered her birthday.

You also got to know Marnie and Robin really well, constantly stopping by to buy a new farm building or supplies for a few of your new animals. Sam and Sebastian also became close friends, especially after you took interest in the band they were starting up.

Around winter, you didn't feel like much of an outsider anymore. Though you spent a lot of time in the mines during the frigid weather, you made sure on Fridays to stop by the Stardrop Saloon. After buying Sam a pizza and handing Sebastian another frozen tear you found, you'd give Abigail quartz, which she'd eat despite you telling her it wasn't good for her.

She'd laugh at your concern as you settle on the small couch beside her, watching the boys play pool and Sam once again having his butt kicked by Sebastian. Abigail talked mostly, complained about all the work she had to do over the weekend. But also some of her plans to go hang out in the forest near Marnie's.

Winter was also the season that you remembered your soul charm, often hidden under your shirt. You had been quite busy, and the only reminder you had a soulmate at all was whenever Alex made a comment about not knowing if he wanted to meet his, or Marnie mentioning how disappointing it was that Lewis wasn't hers despite them feeling like soulmates. Marnie only really talked about soulmates when she was really, really drunk though.

Jodi had her soulmate, a soldier named Kent. You were told he should be coming home soon… you couldn't wait to meet him, after hearing Vincent sounding so excited whenever his father was brought up. And… Jodi and Caroline seemed to be the only two with their soulmates, though Caroline talked less about Pierre unless it was to complain about how he worked too much. Willy claimed he had tossed his charm into the sea, Linus didn't have one for some reason either. Marlon refused to tell you about his when you asked one day, buying a new glow ring since your last one had gone missing. You hadn't asked anyone else about their soulmates. It seemed a bit too personal when you weren't great friends with too many people yet.

-

Time flew by in your second year, too. You were even busier tending to more crops, going deeper in the mines, and caring for your animals. You also grew much closer to Abigail, Sam, and Sebastian, occasionally joining them to watch them practice when you weren't working or playing the harp with Abigail during the warmer seasons in the mountain.

An autumn one night as you were leaving the beach, you caught Abigail in the graveyard. After chatting for a few moments and showing her the one you always kept with you, in case of monsters, Pierre appeared to tell Abigail Caroline wanted her to help with dinner. You ran after her when she fled the scene and continued to talk about the mines and all the creatures you've encountered. You leave out the fact that you actually kill them.

And the year ends, almost as quickly as the first.

-

Spring in your third year shook you a bit when Grandpa appeared, evaluating your work and achievements over the last two years. He didn't seem too impressed, which put a damper on your mood at the start of the season. 

What did improve your mood though was when one morning you woke up and found a letter from Abigail in your mailbox. Your heart skipped a beat as you read and saw she signed it as 'Abby', something you thought adorable, and you made a mental note to visit her later.

Over the last two years, you had gotten particularly close to Abigail. You loved listening to her talk, enjoyed seeing her eyes dance in excitement as you presented a jewel to her, or told her about one of your adventures… you ended up making it a habit to stop by and say hello when she was in her room, but it'd been a while since you visited her. There was an extra bounce in your step as you got to work.

After a long day of tending to the farm and sparing a trip to the beach to fish, you had almost forgotten to visit Abigail until you saw the letter on your table. You made your way to Pierre's store and walked in just before it was gonna close, and grinned as Abigail pulled you into her room.

She shows off the spirit board she has, and you listen to her explain the multitude of things on it. It isn't until you ask about a certain message - one with some things you can't really read from your place but you do see a drawing of a circle cracked down the middle, lines swirling together from both sides, half of it you think you recognize - and her face flushes a deep red and her words start to fumble until she just rushes you out, bidding you goodnight. You blink as the door to her room slams closed and glance around. Neither of her parents seemed to be around, and you notice it's gotten late, so you make your way home, still confused about what all that was about.

You were about to start on your chores when you were startled by Abigail on your doorstep. She apologized for the night before, and you're still very confused and reassure her it's alright but you don't know if she heard you since she left the farm as soon as she apologized. 

It isn't until you're done with feeding your animals and watering your crops do you realize what the drawing on the spirit board was. And why you pointed out that message in particular.

Trying to remember the drawing to the best of your ability, you look down at the charm around your neck. You curse under your breath as you quickly put away your tools and run down the path to Pierre's store. You're pretty sure Abigail will be there, but first you think you should buy something, so you hope Abigail is at least in her room.

Even if your charms didn't match, didn't fit together perfectly… you don't really care. You hoped you weren't jumping to conclusions as you caught your breath, walking into Pierre's store and walking right up to the business man. You smiled as usual, but kept your voice down.

"Is Abigail here?" You ask, and Pierre shakes his head.

"Up by Robin's, I believe. Why, if I may ask?"

You shake your head. "No reason, just... wanted her input on something." You grab some money from your pocket, and lay it on the counter. "But I also wanted to buy something."

After buying what you wanted from Pierre, you force yourself not to rush to the mountain lake where you were told Abigail would be. Looking at your watch, you guessed she was playing her flute, or maybe just sitting under one of the trees.

And once you get there, your mouth runs dry as you approach the purple-haired girl, lost in her own world as she plays her instrument. You take a deep breath, and smile as you tap her shoulder, one hand kept behind your back.

She seems startled, but relaxes as soon as her thoughts catch up and she smiles gently. "Sorry, I didn't expect to see you today. You don't usually come up here on Wednesdays…"

You shrug. "I wanted to talk to you, about what I saw yesterday. And I wanted to ask you something." You watch as her face dusts crimson again, and she doesn't meet your eyes. "I'll leave if you don't want to talk about it, though. And I won't bring it up again if you're uncomfortable with me doing so."

She fiddles with the flute in her hands, playing a silent song with it, maybe to calm any nerves. Abigail had been hoping you wouldn't pursue the topic. But she should've guessed you'd want to talk about it.

"... Alright."

You smile reassuringly, even though you know she isn't watching you. "You doodled our soul charms together, that's what that message was about." Abigail nods.

"I forgot I had it up there, until you pointed it out." She exhales slowly, finally meets your eyes and she relaxes when she finds no disgust in them. "I've done it before, a few times only though, with small crushes on the kids in school… they never ended up being my soulmate, though. So I stopped checking, but still doodled soul charms with mine anyway."

"So, you have a crush on me?" You ask, smile never faltering, your grip on the object behind you tightening just a bit more.

Her face turns a slightly deeper shade of red, and she nods.

"Then, do you want to try dating?"

Abigail's brows furrow, and she's about to ask what you mean until there's a bouquet in front of her. She recognizes it instantly, having helped her father put the bouquet together, and she stumbles over her words for a moment.

"But- but what about our- the charms? You don't want to see if they match?"

You shrug. "If you want, we can definitely see. But even if we weren't soulmates, I would wanna try dating."

Abigail stares at you in silence for a moment, mouth agape as she tries to think of what she wants to say. "But what about our actual soulmates, then?" She asks finally.

"People don't always get together with their soulmate. I mean, just look at Sebastian's parents."

She seems like she's about to say something against that, but changes her mind, and finally, Abigail nods. "Alright."

You brighten a bit. "You'd like to go out?"

Abigail nods again, smile widening as you pass her the flowers and she holds them to her chest. "You picked out one of my favorites."

"Yeah, it was hard getting your dad to stop talking about which ones were the best to try and see if you had told him which ones you liked most." She laughs at that, nodding in understanding. When her laughter dies down, you tilt your head and tap where your soul charm is. "Do you want to see if they match?"

Abigail stares at the charm resting on your chest for a moment before she reaches towards her own, tugging it out from under her shirt and she nods, holding it up. You step close and bring yours up to meet hers.

They fit together perfectly.

[manage-mischief]

Regulus Black and the Darkest Shadows

Chapter 3: The Risky Play

Read on: AO3 or FF.net

Chapter Summary: A familiar face graces the halls of Hogwarts.

Notes: Chapter 3! Yay! So, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be posting Sundays every week. Keep a lookout! Thank you so so much to everyone who has reviewed so far. I really appreciate it. Also, thanks to my incredible beta reader: @leah-ravenanne :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

September 6th, 1978

Quidditch tryouts were Saturday and Regulus was quite looking forward to them. He was never happier than when he was playing Quidditch. He had played Seeker on the Slytherin Team for three years now, and had enjoyed every moment of it. The freedom of flying through the air, the wind whipping through his black locks, the sting of the frost on his face—all of it made him feel alive. This year, his good friend Woodrow McDrew, would be captaining the team. Although McDrew was not a member of Regulus’s normal circle of friends, Regulus respected McDrew all the same. He was a highly talented and fiercely kind individual. Avery and Mulciber often mocked McDrew, commenting that he should have been in Hufflepuff due to his friendly, outgoing demeanor and staunchly pro-Muggle views. However, Regulus found McDrew to be a breath of fresh air. He demonstrated the best qualities of Slytherin House, and, despite his disapproval of Regulus’s friends, always treated him with respect. No one deserved to be Quidditch Captain more than McDrew.

“’Ello, Regulus!” McDrew greeted him with a wide smile and a firm handshake. “Have a good summer?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I did. How about yourself?”

“Oh, you know, nothin’ too interesting to report. Well, until I found out about being Quidditch Captain!” He lowered his voice, suddenly serious. “I’ve been studying up on the other teams, you know? Who they’re likely to keep, who’s gone, and that sort of stuff. We’ll win this year, I know it!”

Regulus laughed, appreciating his confidence. “That’s great. Who do you reckon are going to be toughest to beat?” he asked, although he already feared the answer.

“Ravenclaw, as always.” McDrew rolled his eyes. As if on cue, the Ravenclaw team stormed merrily out onto the pitch, trailed by a hopeful group of newcomers ready to try out. The Ravenclaw Quidditch Team was daunting, there was no denying it. Their offensive strength lay in their elite group of Chasers. Gwenog Jones, who had clearly been named Captain, was a force of nature. Rumor had it that she had already signed a contract with the Holyhead Harpies and would be leaving Hogwarts immediately following the Quidditch season to play for them. George Fleet, a lanky, sandy-haired seventh year, came from a long line of Quidditch royalty. His father had, until very recently, played for the English National Team. Regulus had remembered cheering for Giles Fleet when he was a child. And then, there was Des Lewis. For a girl raised by Muggles, she had immense skill. Regulus remembered the conversation he had overheard her having with Slughorn. Gwenog had taken her to training camp with Holyhead this past summer.

As the blue-clad team passed the Slytherins, McDrew tensed his shoulders. He tersely nodded at Gwenog Jones, who cordially returned the gesture. “Going to the Slug Club next Friday, McDrew? I hear he’s got Ludo Bagman coming in.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” McDrew replied. There was an awkward pause before Gwenog cleared her throat and signaled to her team to move down the field. “See you around, McDrew. Black.” She stomped away.

McDrew exhaled deeply after she had gone. “What a woman!”

---

As Regulus packed up his broom after the conclusion of Slytherin field time (during which he’d flown beautifully, thank you very much), he noted a fleck of maroon in his peripheral vision. Sure enough, the Gryffindors had arrived for their time on the pitch. However, Regulus was shocked to see an old familiar face. Laughing along with the rest of the team, with his untidy black hair and smug grin, was none other than James Potter, the brother-stealer. What was he doing here? Come back to relive his glory days? James caught Regulus’s eye as Regulus stared loathingly across the pitch. Bollocks.

With a new sense of urgency, Regulus haphazardly shoved the rest of his equipment into his bag. He tried to blend in between a group of young Gryffindors cheering on their team as he rushed toward the field’s exit. He wasn’t so lucky.

“Oi, Regulus.”

Regulus walked faster.

“Hey! Hey Reggie, come back!” James Potter sprinted towards him, seizing his robes and yanking him backwards. “Didn’t you hear me shouting?” James asked innocently.

“Oh dear, I guess I’d better get my hearing checked,” Regulus snidely remarked. “What do you want, Potter? Why are you even here? Finally realize that you’re nothing outside of school?”

James looked uncomfortable. He shifted his weight from foot to foot and fiddled with the cuffs of his robes. “It’s…it’s for work! You know what? That’s none of your business! Listen. I need to talk to you. It’s about Pad—Sirius. It’s about Sirius.”

Regulus’s throat constricted. “What about him?”

“Well, he…um. He wanted me to talk to you. He, uh, well… he wants to say he’s sorry for leaving and sorry that you guys lost touch…”

Regulus was shocked and enraged. “Oh, poor Sirius! How will he go on? Well, you can tell that traitor that if he was truly sorry, he’d have come to me himself, not had his replacement family do it for him! Or better yet, he’d have had the balls to come talk to me a year ago when this whole mess started. So, you tell dear Sirius that I’m sorry his guilt has finally caught up with him, but he can take his guilt and shove up it up his—”

“Stop!” James interrupted. “Don’t you understand how hard it was on him? He’s only just come to terms with being disowned. He thought he’d put you in danger by talking to you himself. He didn’t want your mum and dad to hurt you.”

Regulus remembered the threats his mother and father had made before he returned to school last year, warning him against having any contact with his disgraced brother.

“We will know...”

James seized Regulus’s moment of pause as an opportunity to continue. “He’s fine, now. But he…he’s seen how you’ve changed since he left. We can all see it. He’s afraid that you’re going down a dark path.”

Another wave of rage coursed through Regulus’s veins. “Oh yeah? Well you don’t know anything about my life, and neither does he! He went out and found himself a new family. Well, I did the same!” he shouted, not caring about the younger onlookers surrounding him.

James’s faced contorted. He was angry now too. “You think those Death Eaters are your family? That’s sick, mate. Absolutely sick. Sirius always told me that you were different from old Orion and Wally. He said you didn’t really believe all that pureblood, anti-Muggle shit. But, I guess he was wrong. You’re in just as deep as the rest of them. Spineless. You disgust me, mate.”

Regulus blanched. “Just— just because I’m in with them doesn’t mean I believe all they have to say. I- I can make my own decisions!”

Potter scoffed. “Clearly not. You think that old Voldie’s going to let you think for yourself?! Then you’re way too naive to be caught up in this mess! You’re either in or you’re out. This is a war, mate! I know you know what’s on the horizon. And if you choose the side of hatred and bigotry…well…then you’ll get what’s coming.”

With those scathing words, Potter spun on a heel and stormed back towards his old teammates, leaving Regulus standing there, shocked and confused. Sure, he’d been having some doubts but…He was where he belonged, wasn’t he? His mind raced. His cheeks burned with shame. What did Potter know, anyway?

Turning down a corridor into the castle, he ran into Ginger, whose hair was now putrid green. She was covered with flecks of something dark and wet.

“What happened to you?” Regulus asked.

She rolled her eyes. “I heard Lewis use the Dark Lord’s name in the hall. So, I hexed that Mudblood friend of hers, Bode. Used one of Severus’s old curses. It worked wonderfully—he’s in the hospital wing now. But, Lewis got me with this jinx before I could get away. It’s not too bad, though. Avery reckons he can fix it right up. Those little Muggle lovers don’t have the balls to do anything serious! Pathetic!” She cackled. Regulus found it to be a shrill, ugly sound. He realized the dark spatters peppering Ginger’s face and robes were specks of blood. His head pounded. He felt like he was going to vomit.

“I’ve gotta go.” Regulus spun around and quickly walked away from Ginger and the Slytherin Common Room.

Regulus aimlessly wandered about the castle, reflecting on Potter’s words. He had always told himself he wasn’t as bigoted or as prejudiced as his friends. He had attempted to justify his involvement with the Death Eaters by blaming others; but Sirius hadn’t given into the pressure like Regulus had. Besides, Regulus had wanted a family, he had wanted people who accepted him for who he was. But, did they accept him? Or, did they only want him among their ranks because of his prominent, Pureblood status? He remembered when they had approached him during first year.

“We know enough about you…” What had they known, really?

Back then, Regulus had refused. He had felt that he had higher moral principles. Sure, he had been raised by his parents to hate and fear Muggles. But Regulus had never personally believed Muggles and Muggleborns were less than human. He hadn’t then… did he now? He thought of the boy Ginger had sent to the hospital, just for fun. He felt sickened by himself. How had he let himself end up here?

---

The rest of the week dragged on. Regulus had become detached and distant. He poured all of his time and energy into his classes. He barely slept. He thought about reaching out to someone, but didn’t know who he would go to for help. He could send an owl…but who would he write? Sirius? They hadn’t spoken in years, what would he even say? Plus, Regulus still harbored some animosity towards his brother for abandoning him. James? Not likely after that verbal thrashing. Regulus would be too embarrassed. And they had never quite gotten on, even before Sirius’s flight. He racked his brain. He barely knew anyone outside of his Death Eater circle, now. Dejectedly, he plopped himself on his bed and pressed his fingers over his eyelids, trying to block the oncoming migraine. Quidditch practice tonight was going to be a pain.

Quidditch…McDrew! That was it! He would talk to McDrew. Regulus knew he could trust his fellow seventh year. Cheered up slightly, he grabbed his broom and Quidditch bag and headed to down the pitch, hoping to catch his captain there before the others arrived.

Sure enough, the Slytherin Captain had also arrived early and was currently pouring over a strategy book in the locker room as Regulus walked in. Engrossed, McDrew didn’t notice his entrance. Regulus coughed, and the boy looked up.

“Oh, hey Black! Didn’t realize you’d be here this early. I was just reading up on some new moves I want us to try.”

Regulus forced an awkward smile, suddenly extremely nervous and shy. McDrew noticed something was off.

“You alright, mate?”

Regulus sighed. This was his opening. “Can…can I ask you something?”

McDrew raised an eyebrow, confused. “Sure.”

“Do you think I’m a bad person?”

A prolonged silence filled the room. McDrew considered his answer, deep in thought.  “To tell you the truth, mate, I don’t think anyone is really a bad person. I think people make bad choices, especially when they’re lost or confused. But, deep down, I don’t believe anyone can survive without a little bit of good in them.”

“That was philosophical.”

McDrew laughed. “Yeah, I suppose it was.” He became serious again. “But, I think it’s true. Look, Regulus, I don’t pretend to know everything about you. But, I spent my fair share of time around your brother and his friends, so I’ve heard things. Heard things about what it’s like living with your parents, with all of that pressure, with some of their…disciplinary methods…”

Regulus paled and averted his gaze.

“…And I think growing up like that would be enough to send anyone over the deep end. Considering all you went through, you seem pretty sane to me. But, I think you’re lost. You’re angry. You’re scared. And, I think that’s caused you to make some bad decisions. To fall in with some bad people. I know it’s hard. In Slytherin, there’s this expectation to follow exactly what old Salazar used to say. ‘Purebloods first, Muggles are scum,’ that sort of thing. I, myself, think that’s all bullshit. Sure, I’ve made some enemies, especially among those whom you consider to be your friends. At the end of the day, though, I see it as my duty to speak up. To go against the grain, to prove that all that rhetoric is troll dung. There comes a point where you’ve got to make a choice about who you want to be. And, I think it seems like you’re at that point. So, mate, if you decide that you don’t want to continue down whatever path you’re currently on, you know where to find me. Me and my friends’ll gladly take you in. Don’t let the fear of being alone—of making others angry—ruin your own life.” McDrew smiled. “You’re a good bloke, Reg. I just think you’ve lost your way.”

Regulus fought back the pricking of tears in his eyes. He hadn’t realized how much he needed to hear those words. All he had wanted was to be loved and accepted. Yet, so far, all love in his life—from his family, from his friends—had been conditional. The fear of losing their love had caused Regulus to conform, to become a person he barely recognized. But, here he was, sitting in the musty Quidditch locker room, presented with a way out. A way to rediscover himself and become a better person. Energized by the prospect of this new life, he broke into a wide grin. He heard the rest of the team coming down into the changing rooms.

“Practice is starting, I guess,” Regulus said. “Maybe we can talk more at breakfast tomorrow?”

McDrew smiled crookedly. “Of course, mate! I’ll look forward to it!”